The Fearful Heart's Magic
by TheFallenHer0
Summary: Wizardess Heart: Leaving the circus tent and entering the Academy, Stella Carlevaro is excited for a new adventure. However, what she expects and what she she gets aren't quite the same thing. Curses, rumors, dark woods, a mysterious song in the night, and a quiet boy with a warm heart. Yeah, definitely not what she had in mind.
1. The Letter

Stella's bright silvery blue eyes were darting around, absorbing every detail of the scenery outside the window of the train. She was so absorbed in what she saw, she had stopped listening to the magical talking letter, much to his annoyance.

"Miss Carlevaro, please listen!" the letter said, exasperatedly.

"Sorry! I'm just so excited! When I was with the circus, we never went by train, since we had our wagons. So, this is the first time I've ever been on a train before!" Stella told him, beaming her trademark smile.

"W-well, please try to listen." the letter told her. Her smile working on even nonliving things, like the Acceptance Letter, not that Stella could tell.

"I really am sorry, Mr. Letter! I'll try to listen now." she said, still smiling.

"Alright, then. Since you didn't take the time to read me, I must tell you that you are only a provisional student."

"Aw, really?" she asked, looking disappointed.

"Yes, really. You'll be there for thirteen days, where you'll be graded on attendance, classwork, homework, and the like. On the last day, your compatibility with the school will be determined by the Scale of Judgement. Any questions?"

"No, Mr. Letter!" she chirped, before turning her attention back to the outside scenery.

The letter simply sighed and watched the girl's eyes and smile widen with wonder. He jumped when she squealed at the trains whistle. Clutching her bags, she jumped up and stepped off the train, oblivious to the obvious stares of other people at the station. The letter sighed once again and followed her.

* * *

The blue-haired rested his head on his hand, staring absentmindedly out the window. He didn't bother paying attention to the lesson; if he had any trouble, he could ask his roommate, Elias for his notes.

Sighing, he rubbed the patch over his left eye. He had been so lost in his own world that he hadn't realized the for the end of the class had just rung. He was snapped back to reality Elias.

"Hey, Yukiya, I'm going to head down to the library. I'll see you in the dorms." his golden haired friend said.

Yukiya nodded in acknowledgement and Elias turned and left. Only after most of the class left, did he himself leave. He went straight to his favorite spot of solitude. Looking off into the distance, he wondered if he would ever find the solution to his predicament.


	2. A Collisional Meeting

It was very obvious from her features that Stella Carlevaro was not from Gedonelune. Her olive skin and thick, curly black hair were common traits of Filorune, a tiny kingdom far west of the Gedonelune. The circus she had been raised in, La Magnifique Merveille, picked up many different people from all over. There were people who looked normal, those who didn't. Those who were cursed, or born looking like what society considered "wrong." But in La Magnifique, no one was strange or weird, no one was cursed or wrong, they were just people.

Stella's thoughts drifted towards the people around her. She was attracting people's attention, but she didn't pay it any mind. She had lived with a circus, or a freak show, as many people had called it, so she was used to having lots of attention. Both the positive kind and negative.

Sighing, she kept following the Acceptance Letter through the streets. After some time, they arrived at the school's gates.

"Miss Carlevaro, let us commence to the Headmaster's office." the letter said, fluttering one of its corners in a beckoning sort of way.

"Yes, Mr. Letter." Stella giggled with excitement.

They passed through a courtyard, dotted with students studying, playing ball, or eating. Most were too focused on what they were doing, but she noticed a few quick glances and some whispers.

"S-she's really pretty!"

"Oh, man! Look at that hair!"

"Dude, check her out!"

Chuckling at what she heard, she smiled shyly and gave a little wave, which only seemed to encourage the whispers.

"Bro, my heart!"

"She's adorable!"

Now, feeling shy, Stella hid her face and quickened her step.

"W-why are you getting embarrassed?! You're the one flirting!" the letter sated, incredulously.

"Guh! I-I know that!" she shot back, her face starting to burn.

The two continued back and forth, until, much to Stella's relief, they arrived at the Headmaster's office door. They knocked and entered at the sound of a warm voice welcoming them in.

"Hello, Stella! It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Headmaster Randolph."a tall, brown bearded man told her, with a smile as reassuring as his tone.

"The pleasure is all mine, Headmaster!" Stella beamed, "I am the one and only Stella Carlevaro!"

"I've seen some of the shows put on by La Magnifique Merveille, and to be honest, I was enthralled by the performances." the Headmaster chuckled.

Eyes twinkling, she responded, "It's an honor to hear you say that! We really try our best, so it always feels good when people enjoy it!"

"Indeed, though I don't recall a girl your age being there."

"Ah, I might have done one of the night shows; some of our friends are more, um, nocturnal than others."

"Yes, that would explain it. Do you know if they'll be returning here anytime soon?"

"Not sure. They were on their way, following behind my train, but they might have stopped by somewhere else. We do that occasionally, which is why we don't set strict schedules."

"Well-" the Headmaster had started, before he was interrupted by the Accepetance Letter's cough, "Ah, yes, yes, back to business. Stella, are you aware that you're just a provisional student?"

"Yes, Headmaster!"

"Good, good. And the Buddy System?"

"The, uh... Buddy System?"

"Ah," said the Headmaster, nodding sightly, "The Buddy System binds a pair of students. They influence one another's grades, attendance, and so on. They also share punishments."

"Okay, that sounds interesting."

"I'm glad you're looking at this in a positive light. Now, do you have any questions?"

"No, Headmaster!"

"Do you have your map of the Academy?"

"Yes, Headmaster!"

"Do you plan on using it?" he asked, after thinking for a moment.

"Nope!" she giggled, before waving and walking out the door.

Smiling, he said to the empty room, "Looks like things will get interesting."

* * *

 **Later...**

Yukiya yawned, opening his eye. He looked up to an orange sky and slowly got up. He had accidentally fallen asleep, and time had passed him by.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" he asked a large, grey wolf. He knew he wouldn't get an answer, but he asked nonetheless.

The wolf just stared at him, his large, golden eyes not giving anything away.

Sighing, Yukiya stood up and started back to his room. He started to drift off into thought as he walked, when he suddenly smelled something like lavender and vanilla. Before he could react to the sudden scent, Yukiya collided with something so hard, both were knocked to the ground. Thankfully, they landed in the grass by one of the Academy's outer paths, so neither was hurt. He looked up, wondering who he crashed into, or rather, who had crashed into him.

He was rather taken aback when he realized it was a giggling girl. Her black curls fell over her shoulders, framing her face. Her dark hair and bronze skin made the icy blue shade of her eyes almost shine. He had been so caught up in her features, he hadn't realized she had already stood up. Snapping back to reality, he saw that she had stuck out her hand to help him up.

"I'm so sorry about that! I was so excited, I didn't realize just how fast I was moving. Are you okay?" the girl asked, smiling awkwardly.

"Yes, I'm fine." he answered, but didn't take her hand. If people saw, they might not act kindly towards her.

Seeing his hesitation, she grabbed his arm and gently, but firmly, pulled. Now that he no longer had a choice, he let her help him up.

"Well, my name is Stella, Stella Carlevaro. I'm new here." the girl, Stella, informed him, with a grin.

"Yukiya."

"Huh?"

"I'm Yukiya Reizen." he said, his face expressionless.

The girl looked at him for a moment, before her face started beaming.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Yukiya. I hope we can become friends!"

With the setting sun shining behind her, Stella seemed to radiate warmth and kindness. Yukiya couldn't help but smile, ever so slightly.

 _She has... a really nice smile._


	3. To the Dorms and Beyond

"Oh, Yukiya, I've been wandering around the school for a while, but I haven't found the girls' dorm. I don't suppose you could show me the way?" Stella asked, remembering why she had been running around so quickly.

The boy tilted his head before asking, "Don't you have a map?"

"I lost it while I was walking."

"Why ask me?"

Stella gave him her signature smile.

"Cause I want you to show me."

The boy shrugged his shoulders and nodded, before turning to the path and walking north. Scrambling after him, she followed the blue haired boy. It was a bit awkward of a walk. Any attempts she made to talk to him were met with uninterested short responses. By the time they got to, from what Stella could assume, was the girls' dorm, the sun had set. Once he walked her to the front door, he abruptly turned around. Reaching out, she caught a hold of his arm, making him jump slightly.

"Thank you, Yukiya."

"Yeah."

"I hope we get another chance to meet."

When he didn't respond, she felt a little depressed and turned to head in the dorm.

"Me, too." he murmured.

Stella looked back and smiled softly before walking through the front door.

The house mother, an old woman who seemed to always frown, berated her for a couple of minutes before sending her upstairs to her new room.  
Opening the door, she found a girl, one or two years older if she had to guess. She had bright orange hair and sun-kissed skin.

"Hey, I'm your new roommate, Stella Carlevaro."

"Oh, Hi! I'm Amelia Nile." the girl beamed.

Stella smiled back, "I'm so relieved. After I met the house-mother, I was worried my roommate would be, uh, just as welcoming, but you seem really nice."

"Aw, thanks! And don't worry about the house-mother; she's like that with everyone."

"Good to know."

After that, Amelia offered to help her unpack her bags. As they worked, they talked about all sorts of things. Amelia talked about her younger sibling, all seven of them, and Stella told her about her life at the circus. When they were done, they got ready to go to sleep and then flopped down on their beds.

"Hey, Stella. I didn't even ask, but do you have any family? I mean, like blood related. Oh, but if that's a touchy subject, don't worry about it." Amelia asked, turning to face her.

"Oh, no. It's fine. I have a little brother. His name is Lucio, but we usually call him Lucy. He's about ten, now."

"Cool! Henry's about his age, and Jane's a year older. We should try to set up a way for them to hang out."

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

Despite her smile and optimistic tone, Stella knew it wouldn't be so simple. Normal people didn't join La Magnifique Merveille, or at least not for long. Those who were celebrated and adored in the circus were the same people who were despised and chased out of the towns they grew up in. The members of the circus didn't look human, were only partly human, or, in some cases, hadn't been human for a long time. The only other people who joined for the long run were the family members of those who were cursed, but even then, there were few.

Shaking her head to dispel the thoughts, she suggested that she and Amelia go to sleep. Her roommate agreed, promising to introduce her to more people during breakfast. With that to look forward to, Stella fell into a pleasant sleep.

* * *

Yukiya walked passed the other boys of his dorm, ignoring their whispers.  
Until he overheard a part of it.

"Yeah, man. I'm telling you, the new girl's a hottie."

"I'm gonna try to find her during breakfast tomorrow!"

"Sorry, boys, I'm callin' dibs. Give me two days, and she'll be all mine."

At this comment, he stopped and faced the boys.

"You can't call 'dibs' on a person." he said, flatly.

"Oh, shut u-" the boy started, before he realized who had said it, "I-I mean, um, I, uh..."

"He's right, you know." added a golden-haired boy.

"E-Elias! We're sorry. We were being rude." apologized another boy.

Nodding in acknowledgement, the two boys walked to their room. As Elias set up his study materials Yukiya lied down on his bed.

"I'm a bit surprised." commented Elias.

"Hm?" Yukiya tilted his head.

"You normally wouldn't say anything, maybe just frown or shake your head."

Yukiya didn't say anything, just rolled over.

"I was just observing."

"Mm."

"Well, I'm gonna study. Let me know if you want to join me."

With that, he turned back to his notebook. After a few minutes, Yukiya turned back over. Looking at his forearm and remembering the scent of lavender and vanilla, he spoke up.

"She's a good person. She shouldn't have to have people talking like that about her."

At that statement, Elias' eyebrow's raised slightly in surprise. Then he smiled slightly.

"Well, then. I look forward to meeting her."

Yukiya nodded before shutting his eyes.  
After some time, Elias turned out the lights and climbed into his own bed. By that time, the moon had risen pretty high in the sky. Yukiya frowned as heard it. Mixed with Elias' soft snoring, he heard it.

 _"Sprikuenall kohdu... Sriitanmera muruto..."_

* * *

 _"Ra ho koradu... Stokunsa spira..."_

Stella stirred. Opening her eyes slightly, she found it was still very dark. Turning her head, she looked out the window.

 _Is that a song?_

She remained half awake, listening to the pretty song. Though she couldn't understand the words, she loved its grace and beauty. After some time, she fell back asleep to the lullaby of the mysterious song.


	4. Breakfast at Yukiya's

Stella woke up some time before Amelia. Excited, she pulled on her uniform and brushed her hair. By the time she was ready, her roommate was only just waking up.

"You're up early." Amelia commented with a yawn.

"It's my first day! How could I sleep in?" Stella chirped back, "Besides, back home, I always had to wake up early."

"Ah, that makes sense." she said, getting up, "Let me just get ready, and we'll head to the Dining Hall."

Stella waited, though she was feeling a bit restless. She went over her materials for school, making sure she had everything. Like a coiled spring, she leaped up once her roommate was ready, earning a chuckle. Together, they walked out of the dorm, to a building closer to the school, and through a large set of doors.

 _Oh, wow! There's so many people, and the food smells so good!_

Looking around, she saw a familiar face. Grinning, she caught Amelia's attention.

"That's the guy who helped me find the dorm yesterday. His name is Yukiya Reizen." she smiled.

"It was Yukiya who helped you?" Amelia asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Hm?" Stella looked at her with her eyebrows raised, "Do you know him?"

"Well... It's a bit complicated. People-" she started, before being interrupted.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right?" asked a boy.

Turning her head, Stella was met with a smirking green-haired boy. His green eyes were friendly, but seemed to hold a bit of mischief. His aura reminded her of one of her friends from the circus, and she couldn't help but compare them. Both handsome, both seemed confident, and both wore a mischievous smile.

"Yes, I sure am!" she grinned.

"Hey, how about you introduce yourself at our spot. Of course, Amelia is invited, too." he said, looking at her roommate.

"Hey, Stella. This is Luca Orlem. Don't date him. He gets bored of girls way to easily." she told her, only acknowledging him by rolling her eyes.

"Oh, if you don't want to go, we don't have to. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." Stella said, concerned.

"No, no. I didn't date him, but a classmate of mine did." she explained.

"Yes, well, don't forget that she was just dating me to get Travis' attention." Luca said, though he didn't seem bothered by it.

After that, Luca led the girls to his table. She was happy to find Yukiya sitting there, along with two other boys. One had golden hair, and the other had black hair and heterochromic eyes. She sat across from them, while Amelia sat on her left and Luca sat at her right.

"Hello, guys. I'm Stella Carlevaro. Today's my first day, so I hope you don't mind me sitting here." Stella introduced herself, cheerfully.

"And I'm Amelia Nile. I'm a grade ahead of you guys, so I'm not sure we've had a chance to meet." Amelia added.

Yukiya looked like he was falling asleep, the golden haired boy stared, and the black haired boy was focusing on his food. Amelia and Stella exchanged awkward glances. Seeing this, Luca sighed.

"Come on, guys. Now, I know you never get to talk to girls, but you could at least try." he said, dramatically slapping his hand on his forehead.

"S-sorry." said the blond with reddening cheeks, "I'm Elias Goldstein."

"Joel Crawford." said the black haired one, barely glancing up from his food.

Luca turned expectantly to the blue haired boy. He sighed again, evidently unaware of the fact that Stella and he had already met. When Yukiya made no move to introduce, Luca did it for him.

* * *

"And this is Yukiya Reizen."

Yukiya didn't give the girls much more than a glance, though that didn't stop a bright a smile.

"Hey, Yukiya! I guess we didn't have to wait long for us to meet again, huh?" Stella asked.

He just shrugged, and said, "Yeah."

She looked disappointed for a moment, then brightened back up.

"Thanks again for walking me home yesterday."

He just nodded.

 _It's really better if she stops talking to me, especially with almost the whole school here._

He was about to take a bite of his bacon, when she was suddenly on her knees looking at the large grey wolf lying under the table. He, along with the rest of the group, stared at her in confusion. She speaking softly to him in some foreign language and the was responding. To make the scene even more bizarre, she would started stroking the top of his head occasionally, and he was _letting_ her. In all the time he had known the wolf, Yukiya had never seen him acknowledge other people, much less let them touch him. After she was seemingly done, she moved back to her seat, straightening out her skirt. Looking up, she realized they were all staring at her.

"Oh, sorry! Yukiya your familiar is so cool." Stella excitedly grinned at him, "I guess I was too busy yesterday to notice him."

"How did you know he was my familiar?" he asked.

"I can understand animals. I can talk to them, and they know what I'm saying. They talk to me, and I understand what they're saying." she informed them.

 _That makes sense, but what were they saying?_

"What language was that?" Joel asked as he tilted his head.

"It was Norisian, right?" Elias jumped in.

"Yup! My dad was from Filorune, but moved here after he met my mother. He taught my brother and I how to speak both English and Norisian."

"That's so neat!" said Amelia.

Yukiya went back to eating.

 _Now that I think about it, can that wolf speak other languages? Just what is he?_

The bell interrupted his thoughts, and students in the Dining Hall picked up their bags and began filing out to their classes. Stella was thrilled to find that she was in the same class as he, Luca, and Elias. After bidding farewell to Amelia and Joel, they went on their way. As they walked, she was practically skipping along. Yukiya had to admit, it was sweet seeing how excited she was. She began humming a familiar song, and Yukiya froze.

 _How does she know that tune? That is the tune of the song, right?_

Before he could ask about it, they reached the classroom. Stella told them to go ahead inside while she collected herself. Keeping his face expressionless, he walked in.

* * *

Stella shook out her hands to help calm herself down. When she thought she was okay, she stepped inside. She was a bit surprised to find the three already at their seats, though Yukiya was the only one sitting down with the large grey wolf sitting next to him. She couldn't help but notice the oddly empty seats all around him. She walked over to the seat in front of him.

"Does anyone sit here?" she asked.

"No." he replied, though he never looked away from the window.

Feeling a bit hurt by his uninterested and blunt reply, she sat down. When she looked up from setting down her bag, she saw a couple boys and a few girls cautiously approaching.

"So, you're the new girl, right?" asked one of the boys.

"Yup, I'm Stella Carlevaro!" she answered.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Becky." said one of the girls.

"Hi, Becky!" she cheerfully greeted her.

"Hey, Stella, where are you from?" asked another boy.

"Everywhere." she giggled, "I live with the circus, La Magnifique Merveille."

"You're with the circus?" said a surprised Luca, who had walked over.

"Uh-huh!"

"Did you have an act?" asked Elias, curiously.

"Well, I helped out with a couple acts, but I, myself, am a contortionist!" she said, and listened to the surprised responses.

As they were talking, Stella looked back at Yukiya. He seemed to be in his own world, not really looking at the outside world, so much as something in his own mind. One of the boys followed her gaze, a strange look falling over his face. Leaning over, he whispered something to her.

"Stella, you seem really nice, so I think this is something you need to know," he said, "Yukiya Reizen is cursed. You should stay away from him so you won't be cursed, either."

"What?" she could barely suppress a sharp tone.

"Yeah. He's bad news." the boy replied.

She thought back to another time she heard similar words.

* * *

 _Many years ago, a much younger Stella stood in the rain. In one hand, she held an old umbrella. With the other, she held a toddler with a blanket covering him. She knocked on a door to a bakery._

 _'Please, we need to eat! I have money!" she called._

 _The baker inside opened to door to a crack._

 _"I'm sorry, Stella. You can come in, but not him." said the man, coldly glaring at the bundle in her arms._

 _"He's only two! He's just a baby! Please, we have to eat or we'll die!" she sobbed, but the man wouldn't give in._

 _Crying, she readjusted her grip her walked home. Her worn shoes were soaked, and her legs were covered in mud, but no matter what, her little brother was kept warm and dry. As she reached for the doorknob, their neighbor walked over._

 _"Why do you carry on like this?" the woman asked, "You don't need to take care of him. He's the cursed one, not you, sweetheart. If you drop him off outside of town, you don't be abandoning your family; you'd be ridding this town of a monster."_

 _The woman's cruel words said in such a kind, comforting tone made the young girl sick._

 _"Shut up! He's not a monster! You people are!" she snarled._

 _The woman was taken aback, and she looked offended by the girl's words._

 _"We're trying to help you, Stella!" she said, before frustration fell over her face, "Your mother was such a good girl. She did nothing to deserve a family like this."_

 _Stella spat out some more insults before storming into the house. Locking the door, she checked around to make sure the house was secure. When she was content, she sat on the couch. Unwrapping the blankets, she was met by her brother's wide, ice-blue eyes. He reached out his hands, giggling. Stella smiled back and took his hands in hers._

 _"Lucio, I promise you, I will always be on your side. You are no monster, and mother and father knew. They loved us, and mother was never ashamed of you."_

* * *

Pulling herself back to the present, she looked at the boy.

"He's not bad news. I would prefer it if you'd be more careful about what you say." she said, making sure her tone was firm, but not hostile.

The other students looked at her in surprise, then threw quick glances at Yukiya, who hadn't turned away from the window. As the students stood awkwardly, someone coughed at the head of the room. Looking up, Stella saw a man in his thirties smiling. He had kind, golden eyes and long white hair.

"She's right, you know." he said to the students, then turned to her, "Well, Miss new student, I like you already. I am Professor Merkulova."

"My name is Stella Carlevaro, sir." she said, standing up and bowing her head.

The professor smiled and greeted her, before sending the students to their seats. Pulling out her pen and notebook, she prepared for the lesson. As she took notes and listened, she doodled on the corners. She drew little stick figures using magic or dancing, and she got so absorbed, she jumped when the professor cleared his throat.

"Y-yes, professor?" she stumbled.

"Will you perform a spell to make this wooden block change color from grey to red?" he asked, smiling encouragingly.

"Well, professor, I _can_ cast the spell. You just may not get the results you're looking for." Stella replied, looking at a particularly interesting dust bunny in the corner.

"Well, you're here to learn. You're not expected to know how to use all magic." he told her.

 _That's true enough._

Nodding her head, she walked up to the block an drew her wand.

" **Ex Ravus ad Mutare Ruberum** "

As she had predicted, the block did not change color. Instead, it screamed and threw itself at the window. The students screeched in surprise and ran away from it as it continued to hurl its own body around the room.

"Fight me!" it screamed at the students, who had no desire to battle it.

Stella just hid her face behind her hands as the professor lifted the spell. Then, he used magic to put misplaced objects back into their original positions. The professor wasn't upset with her, though he was clearly caught off guard. He sent her back to her seat, and she never moved her hands from her face. The bell rang not long after, and unlike the beginning of class, none of the students walked over to her. Elias walked over with some quick words of comfort, and Luca made a joke to try to lighten her mood. She waited until most of the other students had left before getting up herself. She kept her head up, though she knew she might tear up at any second. As she walked through the door, she saw Yukiya.

"You got it partly right." he said.

"Huh?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

He held out a red block.

"The effects were delayed, and the professor had a meeting, so he couldn't tell you." he said, his face expressionless, "But it did change to the right color."

As soon as she took the cube, he walked off with his wolf following a step behind.

Though he was out of earshot, she whispered, "Thanks."

She didn't notice him tilt his head slightly. She walked back to her dorm, holding the the block like it was made of glass rather than wood. She kept a small smile on her face the whole way.

* * *

When Yukiya reached his dorm, his roommate wasn't there. With Elias gone, he loudly sighed as threw himself on his bed. The wolf rolled his eyes at his actions before lying down himself.

"She doesn't think I'm bad news." he said quietly, though in the empty room, it seemed much louder.

"She's been here for a day. Give her time and we'll see if her opinion remains the same." the wolf replied, sounding disinterested.

Ignoring the wolf's negative response, he thought back to her surprised face and her quiet words of gratitude. She might have had a lot of energy, but she seemed kind and thoughtful. He didn't like how most of the class had just ignored her after class, which slightly surprised the boy, since it never bothered him when they avoided him. Shaking off the unusual feeling, he tried to fall asleep before the mysterious song began again.


	5. Odd, But Kind

After a good night's sleep, Stella was ready for her second day of school. She had pushed her mistakes from the previous day out of her mind and was feeling more optimistic. She made her way to her seat and found Yukiya already sitting in his seat with his wolf next to him.

"Good morning, Yukiya! Good morning, Mr. Wolf!" she cheerfully greeted them.

The boy didn't seem to hear her, and the wolf seemed to be willfully ignoring her. Shrugging it off, she turned to open her bag. She hummed the tune of the mysterious song as she set down her materials.

"That's a nice tune."

Surprised, Stella looked up and saw Elias. She smiled warmly and nodded.

"I like it, but I don't understand the words."

"Maybe I could help? I've studied a lot of different languages, so I might recognize it."

 _"Ra ho koradu... Stokunsa spira."_

The golden-haired boy frowned as he thought. After a few moments, he shook his head.

"I've never heard anything like that, the pronounciation, the sound arrangement. If it is a language, it's either _very_ old, or from a country passed Gedonlune and its close neighbors. Maybe the library has something about it."

"Nah, it's not a big deal. Thanks, though!"

He nodded before going to his own seat. Stella turned back to her bag, pulling out the pen her brother had gotten her from one of the towns they'd visited. Suddenly, she flt someone's gaze on her back. Turning around, she met Yukiya's eyes.

"Good morning!"

"... Morning."

"I wanted to say thanks. You know, about yesterday. I felt a lot better."

"Good."

"I'll try not to mess up today! Though, I can't promise anything..."

The boy nodded, then went back to staring out the window, like nothing ever happened. Stella stared at him for a while, then turned back around. After hearing about the language used in the song, she was even more curious about it than before. She might research it at the library, like Elias had suggested.  
Then there was Yukiya. Stella let out a sigh. The boy was a complete mystery to her, and a mystery she wanted to solve. She could tell he was kind, aloof as he was, and one way or another, she wanted to get to know him better. His wolf, though the familiar seemed to be much more than that, hadn't told much about the boy or himself. Brushing one of her curls away from her eyes, she got ready for the day's lesson.

...  
...

Stella threw a nervous glance at Yukiya. When the teacher, Ms. Hart, had asked him to return a bunch of textbooks to the library, she'd asked for another student to help. Apparently, nearly the whole class believed that Yukiya really was cursed, so only Elias and Stella raised their hands. Stella wondered if Luca would have offered, too, had he decided not to skip. The teacher chose Stella, asking Yukiya to help her learn the way. While the boy didn't show any emotion, she thought she could pick up on some feelings of reluctance.

As they walked, the air was filled with an uncomfortable silence. For a while, Stella didn't say anything, and she was started to think that Yukiya wasn't the type to start a conversation. After thinking for a moment, she spoke up.

"This school is pretty neat, huh?"

He just shrugged.

"You know, I never thought I'd be able to go here. I'd always thought I was lucky to be where I was, well fed and around family and friends. I didn't use my magic too often, you see, only for a healing spell here or there, along with talking to animals. I thought there must have been a mistake somewhere when that letter first arrived, but there was my name! Everyone was so proud, and I promised not to let them down."

He glanced at her a moment, then replied.

"Work hard, and you shouldn't have a problem."

She stopped, then a gave him a warm smile.

"Definitely! Oh, I'm so excited! I never thought I'd be able to learn more about magic. I can't wait to get better! It's just so amazing!" she said.

"It's not as beautiful as you seem to think it is." Yukiya stated.

Surprised, Stella turned to him and found a dark expression had fallen over his face. She quickly glanced at the wolf walking a step or two behind, but he gave no indication as to what the boy's words meant. She shifted her attention back to Yukiya.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think of magic?" he said, avoiding her question.

"I think it's a gift that we can use to help people."

He sighed, and without looking at her, stated his own opinion.

"I think it's a curse."

 _A curse?_

She stared at him in surprise, but it didn't seem like he wasa really talking to _her_ anymore.. The other students had said he was cursed, so was he starting to believe it himself? Or was he really cursed? Either way, it seemed to be a sad way of thinking.

"But it's not all bad, right?" she reasoned.

"I think it's pretty bad. I wish I never..." he drifted off.

"Wish you never what?"

"I wish I never had the ability to use magic."

 _Was that really what you wanted to say?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when the boy groaned as if he were in a lot of pain. He lost his grip on the books as they fell, and Stella quickly put her own stack down. She started rubbing his back and asking if he was alright. Meanwhile, the wolf just sat and watched.

"Fine. I'm fine." he told her, clutching the eye covered with an eye-patch.

"You don't look fine! Come on, let's go to the nur-" she started, reaching for his arm.

"I said I'm fine!"

She flinched at his sharp tone, pulling her hand away. While he seemed to be feeling better, the boy guiltily avoided her gaze.

"Sorry about that! I guess I got too nosy. Kind of a bad habit." she said cheerfully, trying to make him feel better.

 _I guess I was pretty touchy, and really insistent. If he was in that much pain, I was probably making it even worse._

She helped him gather the books, and then they continued on their way. She didn't try to start a conversation with him this time. She was worried she'd really start to annoy him then. So, they walked to the library in silence. Before going, she turned and found the wolf gone. Turning to let Yukiya know, she saw that he was shrugging his shoulders. Walking in, she watched the flying books in awe, but quickly snapped her attention back towards the boy as he walked through a door in the back. Following him in, she shut the door behind them. The room was much smaller than the library, but bookshelves filled with textbooks covered all the walls. As she was looking around, she heard a light whump when Yukiya set down his stack of books and she did the same. When Stella started putting away some of the books, he stopped her.

"I'll handle it."

"It's alright," she replied, "I can help!"

He thought for a moment.

"You'll just get in the way."

Feeling a bit stung, she turned and looked at him. When he met her eyes, he looked away. They stood like that for a few moments, then she turned back to the shelves.

"I'll help." was all she said.

He watched her for moment, but Stella couldn't tell as her back was facing him. Then, he turned to his own stack. They remained quiet as they worked. Looking up, she found that one of the books belonged on the spot just out of her reach. Glancing around the room, she couldn't find any chairs to stand on and she didn't want to try climbing the shelves. She shot a quick glance at the boy, but he had his back to her as he out away the books from his own stack. She was wary of asking him, afraid that she would annoy him yet again. Turning back around, she tried stretching up. Even on her toes, Stella was just a few inches too short. Just as she started to lose her balance and fall, she was suddenly surrounded by warmth. Turning her head, she found Yukiya reaching up behind her to put the book away. She turned bright red as his breath lightly blew against her neck.

"If you need help, just say so." he told her.

"R-right."

Just as it seemed he was about to let go of her and step back, he started sniffing the air. Before she could ask what he was doing, he leaned his head closer. If she wasn't red before, she definitely was now.

"W-what are you doing?!" she squeaked.

At her voice, he snapped his head back with eyes wide. He avoided her gaze as he quickly stepped away. She rubbed her neck and looked at the ground. She was absorbed in her own embarrassment that she didn't notice the blush on the boy's face. After she recovered at least some of her composure, she looked back up.

"T-that was the last one, right?" she asked, avoiding his gaze.

"Y-yeah." he quietly answered.

"Shall we head back?"

He silently nodded. With that decided, they walked back to the classroom. They didn't talk at all, and Stella wondered whether a conversation would have helped or harmed the tense air between them. As they got closer to the door, she began to feel relieved. However, before she could get there, Yukiya stopped her.

"Sorry."

She stared at him in surprise. He avoided her gaze, but she knew he was being sincere. Giving a small chuckle, she replied.

"Don't worry about it." she smiled, albeit a bit awkward, "It's no big deal."

 _It seemed like he didn't know what he was doing earlier, and when he realized it, he apologized. He's a good guy. Odd, but good. I shouldn't hold it against him._

He stared at her in surprise before giving a slight nod. Turning back around, she headed back inside with the boy close behind.

...  
...

Class had ended, and Stella was grateful that she wasn't called up to practice magic. She quite liked Ms. Hart. First off, she was pretty young and fairly new, so she was easy to relate to. Second, she was not only pretty on the outside, she was just as beautiful on the inside. Patient and kind, Stella made it a point to go to her for any advice.

Stepping out of the classroom, she noticed that Yukiya was waiting. He had his stuff packed up, ready to go, so it seemed he wasn't going to stay after class. Curious, she walked with the other students until they got outside, and stepped away to wait. After most of the students were already out, the boy walked through the door. She waited until he about to walk past her and stepped towards him.

"Hey, Yukiya!" she cheerfully greeted him.

"...Hi."

Stella saw the wolf by his side once again, watching them silently. Turning back to the boy, she smiled and asked him a question.

"Are you heading to the dorms?"

"Yeah."

"Can we walk together till we get there?"

He looked at her as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Why?"

"It's only my second day! I don't want to get lost." she replied, using an excuse she'd made up earlier.

He looked at with a dubious expression. She shrugged her shoulders in reply. Folding her hands behind her back and leaning forward, she grinned.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

Yukiya sighed and shook his head. Standing up straight, she decided to ask him about something she'd been worried about.

"Hey, am I annoying you?"

"Kind of."

"Guh! I-I thought so..."

They stood like that for a few moments. Stella closed her eyes and thought of another question.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"It'd be for the best."

She felt a bit depressed at his answer, then asked one last question.

"Is it because I annoy you?"

To her surprise, he shook his head. Yukiya didn't offer any explanation, but started walking. Now curious, she kept pace with him.

"Do you dislike me?"

"... No."

She stopped and thought. When he noticed, he waited a few steps ahead. Yukiya tilted his head in confusion as she gave him a satisfied smile.

"Well, if that's the case, then okay. I won't bother you anymore today."

"... Today?"

Stella walked up and stood in front of him. She cutely tilted her head to the side and told him something he never would have expected.

"I want to be friends."

He stared at her, making her giggle. Walking passed the surprised boy, she made her way to the dorms. After she'd gone , she stopped abruptly and twirled around.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Yukiya!" she called, then continued on her way.

He raised his arm, not quite waving, but the meaning was the same.

...  
...

"Hey, Amelia? Which of these is for healing internal wounds? I've narrowed it down to these two answers, and I know the other is for external wounds."

"Hmm... It's a trick question. Sanatio Aura means 'Healing Breeze.' It's for any wound, whether it be internal or external."

"Ah! I get it. Thanks!"

Her roommate smiled as Stella quickly scribbled in her answer. When she finished studying, she jumped onto her bed giggling as she bounced. Amelia sat on her own bed. With a sudden sigh, she turned to face her orange-haired roommate.

"What do you think of Yukiya?" she asked.

"Wow, that's kind of out of the blue. No pun intended." Amelia replied, "I don't know a lot about him, only the rumors."

"He's odd, but kind." Stella told her.

"Why are you so curious about him?"

"Dunno. I'm just curious about him." she replied, "He's a nice guy. I don't think he's good with people. Either that, or he doesn't care."

Amelia shrugged.

"I've never directly talked to him, so I can't give a worthwhile opinion. All I can say is be careful. I don't necessarily believe the rumors, but there must've been a reason it started."

Stella nodded, understanding what she meant. However, she couldn't think of the boy as being bad news. Besides, what kind of curse was he supposed to have? Also, while she wasn't an expert in magic or anything, she didn't remember ever hearing of a curse being contagious. Turning out the lights, she decided to look into it.

* * *

 **What is this?!  
An update for a WH story by TheFallenHer0?!  
Amazing!**

 **Sorry I took so long to update this.  
But hey! Here it is!**


	6. Message From Home

As Stella sat down in the Dining Hall with the same group as before, she looked up in surprise when letters started appearing in front of many students, herself included. She glanced at the others, looking for an explanation.

"They're letters from home." Joel explained.

"The students who work in the mailroom to serve either detention or make up missed classes are responsible for sending these to the correct students." Elias elaborated.

"You're lucky. Most of the time, they don't send the letters to the right student when they're new." Luca added.

"Ah." she nodded.

Stella noticed that while she, Elias, Amelia, and Joel got letters, Luca and Yukiya had none. Though she was curious, she was worried it would be too personal a thing to ask about. Instead, she shifted her attention to her roommate. Amelia was quietly smiling as she carefully opened up each letter. There seven in total, and from the handwriting and the look in her eyes, they were from her younger siblings. She shifted her attention to Joel, who had one letter. She could see the corner of what looked like a photograph. Next, she looked at Elias, who had a soft look in his eyes as he scanned over beautiful, cursive writing. Finally, Stella looked back at her own letter. Filled with excitement, she opened it. The small envelope deceived her, for within it laid a long, long piece of paper. She felt her companion's eyes flicker over it in curiosity. Chuckling, she silently read over it.

 _Stella! We miss you so, so much! As the master of La Magnifique,  
I took the honor of writing the introduction to your first letter.  
_ _Congratulations, dear. We are so very proud of you.  
\- Mr. Amicus_

She giggled softly as she read through the short writings of her family. She nearly teared up when she got to her brother's.

 _Stella, I really miss you. But I really, really hope you're  
having fun. I won't ask you to come back, because even  
though it would make you super sad, you would do it. So,  
will you get me cool stuff while you're there?I know you'll get  
everyone something, but I'd like something special. It's quiet here  
and Bacio's pouting all the time. I tried to make him feel better, but  
he misses you. Do you have any advice? Anyways, Stella, have  
fun, okay? I love you, and I miss you!  
-The One and Only Lucy_

After she'd read through all the messages, Stella carefully folded up the letter. She put it back into the envelope and placed it in her bag. As her lip began to tremble, she felt someone's gaze.

"Yukiya, what are you sta- A-are you okay, Stella?" Elias asked, sounding alarmed.

At his words, the others looked at her. They voiced their concerns, but Stella put on a smile, claiming to be fine. After a while, the group let it go. She ignored the single, lingering gaze as she picked up held fork and went for a sliced peach.

* * *

 _"Stel! Look, look! I can hold myself up on the trapeze!"_

 _"Oh, wow! Maybe you should be our new strongman!"_

* * *

 _"Hey, Mr. Amicus gave me a ton of candy for helping out yesterday!"_

 _"Oh, awesome!"_

* * *

 _A girl no older than ten felt her hand being tugged while she was talking to one of the circus members. Looking down, she saw a little boy giving her ice-blue puppy eyes. The man left, and she smiled down at him, and his eyes drifted down._

 _"I missed you..." he mumbled._

 _"I only stepped out half an hour ago."_

 _"But we're always together... I thought you might leave..."_

 _Without a word, the girl bent down and tightly hugged him. She didn't pull away until he did. For the rest of the day, the boy was glued to the girl's side, and her face said she wouldn't have it any other way._

* * *

Even though she denied it, Yukiya knew something was wrong. Ever since she had read that letter, she'd had a distant, somber look in her eyes. All through class, she hadn't paid much attention. Even when the bell rang for the end of class, Stella had had a delayed response. As a result, they were the only two left in the classroom. As she went to go out the door, she'd tripped. Before Yukiya could even form a thought, he'd reached out and caught her.

"H-huh? Oh!" Her eyes widened as she realized she was leaning heavily against him, "S-sorry!"

She bit her lip with rosy cheeks as she quickly stepped away. Already, that far away look was back, and Yukiya tilted his head. For the past few days, he had been under the impression that the girl was pretty much always optimistic and energetic, and just as she'd start to feel down, she could bounce back to smiling very quickly. He felt a prick of curiosity about what had her so down, and quietly asked,

"Are you okay?"

Stella raised her eyebrows in surprise, then put on a smile.

"Yeah! I'm just tired, I guess," she replied with a bright tone, "Sorry to worry you."

Yukiya narrowed his eyes. Perhaps she was unaware of how much she showed on her face. He watched as she readjusted her bag, and stepped through the door. It was none of his business, really. She had no reason to tell him what was wrong. It would be better for her if she wasn't seen with him.  
So why did he stop her?

"Yukiya?" Stella asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Have you seen the Greenhouse?"

* * *

This was an unexpected turn of events.

Stella was sitting on a bench with Yukiya in an elegant greenhouse, with a grey wolf sitting some distance away. They hadn't really talked on the way there or as they were sitting. She wasn't in the mood, and she knew the boy just wasn't a very talkative person. Instead, she enjoyed the quiet, soothing atmosphere. As she was looking at the nearby flowers, she heard Yukiya get up. She watched in curious silence as he hunched over on the ground, his back facing her.

"Are you alright?" she asked, remembering the previous day's incident.

Without a word he stood back up, holding something in his cupped hands. He sat back down, using one hand to pet what he was holding. Stella leaned over and peeked at what it was. It was a beautiful, but injured red butterfly. The boy was gently petting it's torn wing, a sad look in his eye. Stella bit her lip as she leaned over to look at it. It probably wouldn't live long with those kinds of injuries. She reached out and used both hands to gently uncurled the one he used to hold the bug, ignoring how he seemed to stiffen.

"Miss Butterfly, your wings are beautiful," Stella softly said, "But you seem to be in a great deal of pain."

"I ran into a cat. I'm afraid I don't have much longer in this world," the butterfly sighed, "What a shame it is that I couldn't see my sister again."

"I could heal you. I'm very good at magic when it comes to living beings. You'll be better in no time."

"No, it's alright. It would be a waste of magic to use on me. The thought is enough."

"Every life had worth," Stella shook her head, pulling out her wand, "whether it belongs to the smallest insect, or the largest giant. That's what my friend, Gavriil, always says."

With that, Stella cast the spell.

 **"O sacred wind, grant us a breeze and mend this wound, Sanatio Aura!"**

She and Yukiya watched as light engulfed the butterfly's injuries. As it faded, the scarlet insect carefully tested her wings. When it found it could move about without any pain, it flew up into the air.

"Oh, my! Thank you, thank you!" the butterfly exclaimed, "You two are so kind! I'll pay you back some day!"

She fluttered over to Stella and gave a light kiss to her cheek. Then she flew over to Yukiya and did the same. The two watched as it soared higher and higher, until it was out of sight. After a few moments, Stella turned to the boy.

"I look forward to her paying us back. How do you think she'll do it?"

"I don't know," Yukiya shrugged, though his expression seemed to have softened.

As she opened her mouth to speak, the wolf let out a snort.

"It's a normal butterfly. It has no magic. I don't see any way it could 'pay you back'," he stated, sounding bored.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to find out when it happens, won't we, Mr. Wolf," Stella smiled back.

Suddenly, she felt someone's eyes on her. Turning her head, she found Yukiya carefully observing her. She tilted her head, wondering if she had something on her face. Yet before she could ask, he turned around.

"We should probably get going. We'll miss dinner if we wait any longer."

"Ah, you're right! I didn't realize the time."

They grabbed their bags and walked out, the grey wolf walking up to Yukiya's side.

* * *

Yukiya walked back to the dorm room with Elias. The golden-haired boy let out a long yawn as they walked through the door.

"You should sleep," the blue-haired boy told him.

"No, I need to study," he replied, shaking his head.

"Don't stay up too late."

"Alright."

With that decided, Yukiya went to get ready for bed. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he was met with a sight he had been expecting. Though it had only been about an hour, Elias was slumped over his desk, fast asleep. He walked over to his roommate, and gently shook him awake. After some effort, the blond half-consciously got into bed. Yukiya smiled ever so slightly. Even though they were both seventeen, Elias would make him feel like an older brother. It was a nostalgic feeling he quickly shook off. He went to his own bed, lying down.

"The girl seems to have really caught your interest." the wolf mused.

"No, she hasn't."

" _Right_. It's interesting how she's not bothered by the idea of you being cursed."

Yukiya didn't bother responding.

"And she can hear the song. Yes, she's _very_ interesting."

"Leave her alone." the boy growled.

"Heh. That got your attention." the wolf snickered, "Keep an eye on the moon. The time is coming."

Yukiya curled his lip and turned his back to the 'wolf'. Shutting his eyes, he tried to push aside all the unpleasant things of the present, and tried to think of something that would make him smile. Usually, it would be his family, times of his childhood. This time, to his surprise, it wasn't.  
The first thing to pop into his head was a girl's bright and cheerful smile.


	7. Cornetti and Friendship

Amelia yawned as she got up. Looking around, she furrowed her brows in confusion. Her roommate was nowhere in sight, and class didn't start for some time. She quickly got ready and went downstairs to look for her. Turning a corner, she raised her eyebrows when she saw a group of girls gathered around the door to the kitchen. They were quietly watching someone from within. As the orange-haired girl walked over, she could hear someone singing. Some of the girls moved back, and Amelia peeked in.

There, dancing around the kitchen with a bowl and wooden spoon in hand, was Stella. She moved gracefully about the kitchen, baking things in the oven and making something on the stove. Driven on by curiosity, Amelia stepped in.

"What's up?" she asked.

The girl's curly, black hair bounced as Stella turned to face her.

"I'm making some cornetti. In order to use the kitchen, the dorm mother said I had to make her pancakes." she replied, "Oh, would you guys like some? I think I made too much!"

* * *

Stella walked through the classroom door, smiling. While she had missed going to the Dining Hall for breakfast, she had eaten with some of the girls from her dorm and got to know them better. She walked over to her desk, sat down, and pulled out her materials. As she was looking through her things, Elias walked up.

"Hello, Stella," he greeted her, "We missed you this morning."

"Yeah, it was boring sitting with just guys!" added Luca, who appeared out of nowhere, "How did I ever stand it before?"

"Oops!" she giggled, "Then will these suffice as an apology?"

With that, Stella pulled out some of the extra pastries. She took the chocolate one and gave it to Elias, and to Luca, she gave one filled with almond paste. At their confused expressions, she explained.

"They're cornetti. My dad always made them for us, and I felt like making some this morning, which is why I wasn't there."

With curious looks in their eyes, they both took a bite. She began giggling as Elias' face seemed to melt in pleasure, and Luca was wolfing his down. After a comically short time, the two gave her bright smiles.

"Thank you, Stella," Elias grinned.

"That was sooo good!" added Luca.

"I'm glad you like them!"

Just as Stella reached back into her bag, the bell rang. Her two friends sat down, yes Luca was attending class today, and the students waited for the teacher. Stella's eyes widened in surprise when the headmaster walked in.

"All right, class," he began, acting as though him being there was the most natural thing in the world, "Today, we'll be discussing some of Gedonelune's history."

As he said this, the headmaster looked around the room. When his gaze landed on Stella's shocked expression, he chuckled.

"My, my, Stella. Have you seen a ghost?"

Quickly recovering, the girl smiled back.

"Not yet, sir. I just didn't know you taught classes, too."

"I've heard that before. I teach a couple classes," he nodded, "including this one. Now, everyone knows how Gedonelune was formed, yes?"

The class nodded.

"Well, then we all know about the petrification of the Dragon of Time, but what was it called?"

A bunch of students raised their hands, including Elias. Stella furrowed her brow, thinking over all the stories she'd heard. When she thought she'd found the answer, her hand joined the others. Headmaster Randolph scanned the students' faces, then he gave a light nod to Stella.

"The Tower of Sorrow, right?"

"Correct! Well done."

"Thank you, sir!"

Elias nodded in approval, and Luca gave her a half-smile. Stella smiled back.

"Oh, the circus freak knows Gedonelune legends?" she heard someone whisper.

"Who would have told her about it?" another girl whispered back.

"Maybe Yukiya told her," suggested a third, "figures the cursed student would hang out with the freak."

"Or maybe one of the other weirdos at the circus," the first snickered, "after all, that's where society's rejects go."

The girl's whispered conversation was unheard by the headmaster, but not Stella. She clenched her fist, but held her tongue. It wouldn't do well to shout out in the middle of a lecture, but the girl grew upset.

 _I'm not a freak! My family isn't made up of weirdos or rejects! Yukiya isn't cursed!_

And though these thoughts ran through her head, she tried to focus on the lesson. The girls kept whispering back and forth, and Stella bit her lip. Suddenly, she heard someone whisper an incantation and the girls' voices stopped. Looking over, she saw that thought three's mouths were moving, no words came. As the girls began to panic, Stella subtly looked around the classroom. Her gaze landed on one of the girls from this morning who had joined her for breakfast at the dorm. She was trying to put away her wand without being caught, but when she met Stella's eyes, her face drained of color. However, Stella just gave her a grateful smile, and the other girl awkwardly smiled back. Then, they both tuned back into the lecture.

"The three mages vowed to protect the Tower of Sorrow, which lies in the East Forest," Headmaster Randolph stated, "and that Tower shall be the focus of our lesson today."

Quickly labeling her notes, Stella leaned forward. She loved legends. Thanks to her friends and family from the circus, she had been able to hear many different stories from many different places.

"The Tower is more or less a mausoleum, with the Dragon of Time resting on the top floor. Not just anyone can show up to the Tower and pay the dragon a visit," he warned, "For the East Forest is protected by the Three Mages spell, meant to mislead all who enter. Thus getting anywhere close to the Tower is a difficult task."

"What kind of spell is it?" asked one boy after raising his hand.

"Why don't we ask someone who dared to venture in?" the headmaster suggested, then looked to Luca, "That student earned a suspension after the incident."

 _He went into the forest?_

"Of course, Headmaster," Luca smirked, then took on a serious expression, "That was one hell of a spell. The illusions it cast were so intense, I'm lucky to have made it out both sane and alive! If I weren't so lucky, I'd probably be stuck in there till the day I died. Seriously, don't even try to go in. You all know me, so trust me when I say to not try it. At least, if you value your lives."

At his words, the class gasped and whispering broke out (well, the three girls were still sitting still, frustrated and mute). What reason could there be to protect the mausoleum so fiercely?

 _I'm glad he got out alright, though._

"He's absolutely right," nodded the headmaster, "it is extremely dangerous. _Do not_ repeat his mistake."

 _Wow, that's intense. Just wait till I tell Lucy, Evan, and the others!_

* * *

Yukiya was not the last one out of the door.

Today, he actually left fairly early, much to the surprise of his classmates. He ignored Stella's shouts as he left.

"Shame, shame," taunted the wolf, "that's awfully rude of you."

"What do you care?" Yukiya growled back.

The two kept walking, avoiding the other students. They eventually came to an outdoor corridor, completely empty of students.  
Or so he thought.  
Just as they slowed their pace, a figure stepped around the corner. With a sly smile, a green-haired boy sauntered up. He leaned against the stone wall in front of him and spoke.

"Geez, Yukiya! You really hauled ass! You alright?"

"Fine." the blue-haired boy replied.

As he tried to step past his classmate, the other boy stuck out his arm, stopping him.

"That's not very nice," he stated, clicking his tongue, "I wanted to have a nice conversation with you."

"I'm not gonna change my mind."

"Hey, I haven't even said anything about that!"

"I won't lead you there."

"You're the only one who can hear the song," Luca insisted, his expression growing serious, "Please, man. I know you're gonna be getting real sick soon, but I _need_ to get to the Tower."

"Why?"

"I don't have to tell you that."

"I don't have to help you, either."

"Look, if someone else could get me there, I'd ask them. I don't like begging for your help after all the times you've said no."

"Coulda fooled me."

Suddenly, the familiar scent of lavender and vanilla reached Yukiya's nose. He looked around, trying to find the source. The girl was no where in sight, but she was heading in there direction. He had to end this conversation and getting moving as soon as possible.

"I really did get lucky last time. I'm not about to risk it again. Please help me, Yukiya."

"Sorry, but I've already said no."

With that, Yukiya started walking. Luca let him go, an upset look on his face. After a moment, he sighed and walked off in the opposite direction. As he focused on that, Yukiya turned the corner, only to realize at the last moment how strong the scent had become. With a loud 'Umph!' Stella collided with him. Though Yukiya was able to catch himself this time, Stella could not. Without thinking, he reached.

His arms wrapped around her waist, he ended up pulling her with more strength than originally intended. Just like that, her hands were on his chest and he could fell her breath on his lips. Her eyes wide, Stella's face turned red. Though he was just as embarrassed, he froze in surprise. For a few moments, all they could was stare at each other in shock. He looked over her features. Eyes, cold in color, but warm in feeling, stared up into his, staring into his eye as though she were looking for something. His gaze drifted down to her nose, dainty and ever so slightly pointing up, giving her an almost nymph-like air. His eyes drifted down further, and stopped at her lips, full and almost always smiling.

 _They look so soft... I wonder how it'd feel to- No! No, you cannot even think about that!_

Yet he still wondered. As they continued to stand in the rather intimate position, he watched as those lips broke into a smile as she burst out laughing. His eyes shot back up to hers, trying to hide his confusion and embarrassment and to read her feelings. He gulped as she laid her forehead against his chest, looking down to keep him from seeing her face. His heart began to race and he grew panicked that she might hear it.

After regaining her composure, she looked back up and leaned back to see his face. However, she didn't push herself away or try to move his arms.

"Sorry, sorry," she giggled, "I was just imagining about how different things might be if this had happened the _first_ time I fell around you! This is the third time in the past, what, four days we've met? I promise, Yukiya, I'm not normally this clumsy!"

As she went on chuckling, the boy's nerves settled. He carefully removed his arms and stepped back slightly. As much as he liked, yes _liked_ , her smiling face and bell-like laughter, he had no right to it. She must have seen something in his face or in his eyes, because her happy expression faltered.

 _This is for the best._

As he made to turn around, she shot her hand out, grabbing his arm with unexpected strength. She had him turn around, and he saw her expression changing to an inviting smile.

"Can we talk?" she asked, her voice soft.

"I should go."

"Please?" she asked, her eyes looking upset, "Just for a bit?"

Something about her voice and eyes made a pang go throughout his heart. He knew he shouldn't, for her sake. Yet how could he say no? Why couldn't he? He hadn't been able to deny his younger sisters anything either, but she was not one of his sisters and the feeling behind it was different. Why was that?

 _I can't._

"Just a bit."

"Thank you!" she grinned, her heading tilting in a cute manner.

Again, a pang in his heart. This one was different, it still ached, but it wasn't as painful. Her hand slid down his arm to his hand, and she began pulling him along towards the forest and away from the school. She stopped on one of the paths, biting her lip as she looked around.

"Don't lead others around when you don't know where you're going," the wolf grumbled.

"Oops!" she nervously laughed, then looked at Yukiya, "D-don't go anywhere! I just need to think."

She dropped his hand and tapped her head in thought. While her eyes were closed, Yukiya shot a glare at his familiar. The wolf didn't say anything, but his eyes seemed to have... changed. The boy couldn't name it, as the look was gone before he could put a name to it. With a sigh, Yukiya reached out and took the girl's hand. Her eyes widened, and a light blush spread across her cheek as he led her into the forest to his favorite spot. When they got there, he turned to face her.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"O-oh, yeah!" her eyebrows raising slightly, "I wanted to thank you. Again."

"It's fi-"

"No, no! Second time in a row, and I feel like words aren't enough."

"They a-"

"You allergic to anything?"

"No, wh-"

"Close your eyes. Come on, pretty please?"

"Why?"

"Please?"

"No. Tell me why?"

She just stared up at him, her brows lightly furrowed and her bottom lip sticking out slightly. He realized she was pouting, actually pouting! He heavily sighed and did as she asked.

"Now, open your mouth!"

"No. Not until you-"

"I can make you, Yukiya Reizen!" Stella threatened, though he could still hear the smile in her voice.

"No until- mmph!"

Something was stuck into his mouth. His eyes opened as he took the pastry out of his mouth. It had a nice, flaky texture. He took another bit, then another. As he got to the middle, a burst of peach danced across his tongue. As he wolfed down the rest of it (pun very much intended), he looked up at the girl. She looked up at him in a slightly nervous manner.

"That was... amazing." he admitted.

A proud, relieved smile broke across her face.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" she sighed, "I may not be good at magic, but I'm confident in my cooking skills. Did you like the fruit?"

"Yeah. I love peaches."

"I thought you might! Something about says 'peach'. Kinda like Elias is 'chocolate' and Luca is something not too sweet."

His eyebrows lifted. Perhaps she was more observant than he'd originally thought.

As Yukiya wiped his mouth off with his sleeve, a serious look fell over Stella's face.

"Hey, Yukiya? Were trying to... avoid me earlier? You left so quickly, and I'm sure you could hear me. Then when I did find you, you tried to leave."

The blue-haired boy said nothing.

"You said before that I was kind of annoying you, but you said you didn't dislike me. Has that changed?"

He remained silent a little longer, then hesitantly shook his head. She looked momentarily relieved before asking another question.

"Why is it you're avoiding me? Honestly?"

"You're better off away from me."

"Why?"

"You've already heard. I'm cursed. I bring bad luck and harm to anyone who tries to get close to me. People will think less of you if you're seen with me. Like those girls today. You shouldn't put yourself in that position. I don't mind if you say you agree with the rumors, even if you really don't."

At his words, something dark flashed through her eyes. She clenched her fist and stepped closer to him.

"What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I know you're a good person, but-"

"I have lived my whole life with people thinking I've made the wrong choices. That I spend time with people who are 'cursed'. I don't care what they say."

She started shaking and her voice began to waver.

"They said the same things about my brother! The same things about my family at La Magnifique! They were wrong, they are wrong! Those who say such things don't take the time to understand the supposedly 'cursed' people! They form opinions based on appearances or odd behaviors!"

His eyes widened in surprise, but before he could speak, the girl continued.

"If I did as you ask, I would have no right to go home! I haven't seen any proof of a curse, much less a contagious one! Yukiya Reizen, people can tell me what they want, but at the end of the day, _I_ decide what I do. _I_ decide who I become friends with. _I_ decide what I want. Not anyone else. And what _I_ want, Yukiya, is to become friends!"

He stared at her in shocked silence for a couple minutes. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. No one had tried so hard to get to know, much less become friends. As he stared into those strong, determined eyes, Yukiya found himself nodding.

"I'll... try," he mumbled.

After hearing that, her expression softened.

"That's all I need."

With that decided, she sat down on the grass.

"Here, I have some more of those pastries. They're called cornetti by the way."

* * *

 **Wow, really long chapter, huh?**


	8. To Challenge Umbras and Rumors

Stella and Amelia were eating breakfast with the boys. Actually, Amelia wasn't eating. She was gazing at someone at another table. Following her eyes, Stella saw a boy with strawberry blond hair and bright brown eyes. He was, cute, probably around Amelia's age, talking to a group of his peers. Based on the dreamy look in her eyes, it wasn't hard to guess that a certain orange-haired girl had a crush. Giggling, Stella leaned over and whispered.

"Just staring at him won't change things."

"Gah!" the older girl squawked.

"What was that?" Luca laughed.

"Sounded like a bird being choked," Joel observed.

"Shut up!" shouted Amelia, her face red.

"Leave her alone," Elias sighed.

"Sorry," Stella giggled.

Amelia flicked her forehead.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"Yes, just like my pride!"

The group went back and forth, and Stella smiled. Though they were arguing, there was a warmth to it all.

 _What a fun start to the day!_

 _..._

* * *

...

The four walked into the classroom. Yukiya and Stella went to their own seats, while Elias and Luca walked over to them. They continued talking until Professor Schyuler walked in.

"Everyone stand up. We're going outside for class today." he announced, then turned to lead them to the courtyard.

Grabbing her wand, Stella walked with the others. Once they got there, the professor stood in front of the class. He explained that the day's lesson would be focusing on practical magic. She sighed and wore an uncomfortable smile. At her expression, Elias raised an eyebrow.

"You alright?" he quietly questioned.

"Practical magic... isn't my strong suit," she admitted.

"You know, practical magic is a huge part of our grade."

"Oh..."

"Geez, Elias," Luca sighed, popping up from out of nowhere, "You are _terrible_ at comforting people."

"What are you doing here?" Elias asked, "You've showing up a lot more than usual."

"You're so mean," the green-haired boy whined, "I've been showing up to class to see one of Stella's magical mishaps."

"Hey! I'll do better this time!" Stella snapped.

"So long as you believe in yourself," he snickered, "is what I'd like to say."

Without a word, Yukiya stepped in between Stella and Luca.

"Enough," he told the green-haired boy.

"Huh?" the girl's eyes widened.

"Oh, are you a knight come to save his princess?" Luca asked, and Stella thought she saw something bitter in his eyes.

"You're making her uncomfortable."

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry for being so mean."

After saying that, Luca turned and started to walk away. However, Elias called out and stopped him. As though he knew what was coming, the green-haired boy turned around with a bored expression. Before Elias could even speak, Luca stated his answer.

"I'm too tired for a match."

"Why? Are you scared?"

"If you want to lose that badly, I'm happy to oblige."

"Don't try to get out of it now."

"That's my line."

While the two had been going back and forth, they ended up stalking closer and closer to each other. The situation echoed scenes that Stella had seen before. It always led to a fight.

 _I'd better calm these two down before things get too out of hand!_

As she looked up, she found Yukiya not staring at the two but at her. She tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Ah! You were protecting me from Luca just then, weren't you?"

"I said I'd try." he shrugged, "So I'll help you if you're in trouble."

 _He really is trying..._

"... Thank you, Yukiya," she smiled up at him.

Suddenly, a bell loudly rang out. When it did, Professor Schyuler addressed the students.

"I see you all remembered to leave your cloaks behind. Now, today we will be going over attacking spells. I will be creating umbras for you to destroy with spells."

Stella through a questioning look at the boys.

"An umbra's like a shadow clone," Yukiya informed her.

"You can only use elemental magic to take them down," the professor continued, "all other magic is prohibited."

 _I can do that... I hope..._

"So, Stella, what is the associated direction of fire?" Professor Schyuler asked.

"M-me?" she repeated, then quickly racked her brain, "It's... South? Yes, yes, definitely South!"

"Correct. The answer was fairly obvious."

 _No mercy..._

"Your grade shall be determined by how many umbras you destroy. Now, prepare your wands. **Apareo Umbra!** "

With his incantation, dozens of shadow figures appeared.

"You cannot run away from them," the professor warned, "If you want to avoid injury, you must come at them full force."

 _What?! How dangerous are these things?!_

She felt a hand on her arm.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Yukiya asked, looking concerned.

"S-sure I will!" she smiled back, "I _am_ the one and only Stella Carlevaro!"

Despite her words, the girl was shaking. Yukiya stared at her, and somewhere in the distance, Elias was challenging Luca to a contest of who could destroy more umbras. And with that, Professor Schyuler began the lesson. All the umbras suddenly sprang to life, lunging forward to attack. Stella gulped as she realized one had focused on her. It sped towards her, giving her no time to even ready her wand. Just as she thought it would hit her, she found herself being pulled out of the way and into someone's arms. Looking up, she found it was Yukiya who was holding her. Before she could utter a word, he put some distance between them and the umbra.

"I said I'd help," was all he said.

Then, he turned around, drawing his wand. He took a breath before reciting the incantation.

" **O lightning, I command thee to smite my foe! Ira Tonitrus!** "

With his spell, dark clouds began swirling around in the sky above. However, Stella was more focused on the boy. He groaned in pain, clutching his eye hidden by the patch. While the lightning struck the umbra, destroying it completely, the girl rushed over to the boy.

"That was amazing," she whispered.

"More are coming," Yukiya warned, seemingly recovered, "This way!"

He took her hand and started running. Her cheeks flushed at the gesture, despite her nerves. They'd made some distance until another umbra came crashing in between them. It began clawing at Stella, while another jumped in front of Yukiya, keeping him distracted. He called out to her, but she kept on backing away, trying to avoid the shadow's grasp. Another student shouted a warning, and Stella felt a presence behind her. With no time to move out of the way, she resorted to one of her most natural abilities.

She bent her body in half.  
Backwards.

The two umbras had no time to stop before they clawed each other. They backed away groaning in pain. The umbra from behind was quickly destroyed by a water-based spell, but the one from before was already charging at her. With her hands still on the ground, Stella had no hopes for using her wand. So, she opted for a trick she learned while she was with the circus.  
She swung one leg straight up, hitting it where the face (or therefore lack of) would be. It howled and Stella kicked up her other foot, and with that she did a little back flip. Now on her feet, and the umbra still hunched over, Stella readied her wand.

 _Here goes nothing!_

" **O great wind, become a blade! Acies Ventos!** "

As the words left her lips, a great gust of wind flew out from her wand. It cut the umbra with such great force, it was split in half. Stella stared in shock, her gaze skipping from her wand to where the umbra had been, and back again.

" **O sacred water, become a whip and strike back my enemies! Globus Aqua!** "

Suddenly, an umbra let out shriek from right behind her. Whipping around, Stella found an umbra dissolving away into ash and smoke. Turning her head, she found Yukiya with his wand drawn. She grinned and ran over.

"Thanks! And did you see? Did you?!" she squealed, "I cast the spell and it went amazingly well!"

"It was impressive," he nodded, "But we-"

"Need to focus! You got it!"

They kept weaving in and out between students and umbra. Yukiya would cast spells, and after Stella misfired a few, she thought it would be better to stop trying, as she might have ended up hitting a fellow student. Despite their efforts, however, the pair soon found themselves surrounded.

"Cast a barrier spell," Yukiya said, "I'll wipe these ones all out, but I'll be defenseless."

"A-alright!" Stella nodded back with a gulp.

Taking a deep breath, she recited the spell.

" **Scuntum Ventos!** "

A great burst of wind engulfed them. While it was strong enough to keep the approaching umbras at bay, it didn't harm Stella or Yukiya.

 _I did it! My magic worked again!_

" **O earth, rumble in fury! Merum Terra!** "

As the blue-haired boy recited the words, the ground opened up, swallowing all the umbras at once. Then, it closed as suddenly as it had opened. Stella gasped at the incredible display, when Yukiya hunched over. Clutching his eye in pain, he was panting.

"Yukiya, are you alright?!" she asked, feeling quite worried.

"I'm fine... Just used too much magic," he replied.

"Let's rest for a moment," Stella suggested, taking his arm to lead him away from the other students and umbras.

"No," he shook his head, "we gotta go all out till the end."

And just like that, he grabbed her hand began moving again. Stella bit her lip, worried about the boy.

* * *

Time passed, and the students were looking exhausted, drained both physically, mentally, and magically. Just as a few looked about ready to collapse, the professor called time.

"Enough!" he shouted, and just like that, they were gone.

Professor Schyuler had the students gather together, telling them he'd be revealing their scores. After reciting a short spell, a band of light appeared and showed all the students' scores.

 _I got... one. The lowest of the class... But it's better than zero! And my magic worked!... Most of the time..._

Suddenly, Yukiya stepped forward.

"Professor, Stella was casting a barrier spell on me for most of the time," he explained, "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have slain any of the umbras."

"Yukiya..." she whispered.

The professor stared at him for a few moments, and Yukiya stared right back. After a few moments, he sighed.

"Very well," the professor relented, "Your score will be split."

With a flick of his wand, half of Yukiya's points (actually, half of it minus one) was added to Stella's. Just like that, she had 15 points. The boy walked over.

"Well done," he nodded.

"Thanks, and you too, but are you sure this is okay?" Stella asked, "I didn't do all that much."

"I wouldn't have been able to take out so many if it weren't for you," he told her, "That's the truth."

"Thank you, Yukiya," she warmly smiled up at him.

"No, thank you," he responded, avoiding her eyes.

Suddenly, yelling broke up their moment. Turning around, they found Elias arguing with Luca, who seemed to be mocking him. Looking up, she saw that while Elias had won, Luca's score was so low, he probably hadn't even tried. Turning back, their argument had much more fierce. Feeling worried, Stella walked over, with the intent to break it up. However, Yukiya was a step ahead.

"Quit it, you two," he ordered.

"Oh-ho, look who it is, " Luca sneered, "The guy who pretends to not care. Why have you changed your mind today?"

Yukiya said nothing.

"Is it your pretty little lady friend?" he pushed, gesturing to Stella.

"Luca." he warned, his voice deep and cold.

As she watched in nervous silence, Stella heard students whispering.

"Check it out," a boy whispered to his friend, "Luca said something to Yukiya."

"He's gonna get cursed!" fretted a girl.

"Just like that one student who made fun of him. Y'know, the one who dropped off due to family problems." muttered another boy.

The students started going back and forth. Clenching her fist, Stella grew very upset. They were being so cruel and unfair, and it was really getting to the girl. Whirling around, Stella stalked up to the boy who had started the whispering.

"That is _not_ true," she hissed, "And you had better knock it off!"

At her outburst, the whispering stopped and silence ruled the courtyard. However, it did not stop the girl. Instead, Stella faced the class.

"You had all better be ashamed of yourselves!" she scolded, "To spread stupid rumors like that does nothing but hurt other people! They get warped and twisted until they're nothing but the lies of cowards!"

They all stared at her in shock. A tiny voice in the back of her head warned her that she might have gone too far.

* * *

 _"I heard the father made a deal with a demon." whispered a young woman, "To get her heart, he had to sacrifice his first born son to him."_

 _"No, no!" an older man shook his head, "I heard it was the woman! She slept with a demon and bore his son!"_

 _"Sh, sh! The girl's heading over!"_

 _A tiny girl with ice blue eyes was walking by. She had heard those rumors, and ones like them. She glared at the two as she passed. The woman hid her face behind her fan, and the man took an extra long puff of his cigar. As the girl got to her house, a man, clearly a foreigner to the village with bronze skin and light brown hair, quickly stepped out. Resting his hands on her shoulders, his dark brown eyes were filled with grief and tears, he didn't need to say anything. Sh knew. Just like that, the little girl was drowning in her own tears, which fell like waterfalls in spring._

 _A few days later, the girl was walking through town. She passed by a tavern, with its window wide open._

 _"Yeah, I heard the man sacrificed his wife, too!" called a drunken voice._

 _"Dumb ass!" argued another, "She got the sickness from her demon. The b*** caught the sickness from him, and gave it to the rest of us! Fair enough that she dies!"_

 _Picking up a rock, the girl bit her lip. More voices spoke up, offering their theories. As tears fell from her eyes, she hurled the rock. It didn't hit anyone, just some drunkard's mug, but it got a rise._

 _"What the hell?!"_

 _"What was that?!"_

 _As the men started getting up, the little girl ran home.  
She didn't return to the village for many days._

* * *

 _No. I have not gone too far. I can never go too far._

She stared at her peers, with strong stance and a stern gaze.

"Well, well," Luca snickered after a while, "You heard her. It's not true, and the rumors need to stop." he continued, his face growing more serious, "Right, Yukiya?"

The blue-haired boy said nothing. Then, Professor Schyuler came storming over, demanding to know what the ruckus was. Naturally, Luca was long gone by the time he got there, much to Elias' frustration. Yukiya stood in silence, his face expressionless as usual. The students starting whispering again, less than before, but Stella was still upset.

 _This is wrong. He hasn't even done anything._

"Was it you who caused this disturbance?" the professor sternly asked, "I believe it was Stella's voice that I heard."

"... Yes, sir," she reluctantly agreed.

"Then as punishment, see that the courtyard is picked up."

"... Yes, sir."

As the professor walked away, Yukiya stepped forward.

"I'll help."

"It's alright."

"No. I'll help."

As he said those words, Stella thought back to when they'd put away books together. She chuckled while the boy stared at her in confusion.

* * *

Yukiya stared into his bag. He had been doing so for the past few minutes, so Elias spoke up.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"I left my textbook in the classroom," Yukiya admitted.

"You can borrow mine."

"No, I'll go get it. You're trying to work ahead, anyway."

"Oh, okay. If you're sure..."

"Yeah. I'll be right back."

With that, he left with a large grey wolf following behind him. He walked through the dorm, with other boys avoiding him. He walked through the empty halls, up the staircase, and towards the classroom. However, before he could open it, he heard a voice from inside.

"-eed to improve!" a girl's voice ordered, "You can't just rely on Yukiya to bail you out!"

 _Is Stella... talking to herself?_

He stood there, listening.

"Perhaps she's gone mad," the wolf mockingly wondered aloud.

"Stella, you've escaped death and evil. Why can't you do a simple levitation spell? How are you supposed to help others?! You need to get better!"

 _Escaped death and evil?_

At those words, Yukiya opened the door. Inside was Stella, wand drawn, facing a notebook on a stool.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh!" she jumped, then turned around, "Yukiya, you scared me! I was practicing levitation magic, but I can't seem to do it right."

"I like to imagine what I want to happen," the boy told her, "It's not enough to say the words."

"Ah, okay. I'll try it."

With a deep breath, she cast the spell. She furrowed her brows, as though concentrating. Then, light poured out from her wand and enveloped the book, which then grew wings and calmly flew towards her.

"You did it," Yukiya warmly confirmed.

"Oh, thank you!" she laughed, "That's the first time that's worked!"

As she said those words, she wrapped her hand around his. It may have only been for a split second, but Stella saw a small smile on his face. For a moment, her heart seemed to stop.  
And then it was gone.

"There's a book in the library that might help you with levitation," Yukiya informed her, "I could show you where it is tomorrow."

"Oh, that'd be awesome!"

As she spoke, Stella grabbed her stuff. Then the two walked out of the classroom and toward the dorms. As they approached the girl's dorm, Stella seemed to slow her pace. Yukiya tilted his head in confusion, but the girl seemed to ignore it. Eventually, she came to a full stop. He stopped and looked at her. Upon closer inspection, he found she was lightly biting her lip.

"Yukiya?" she began, "... thank you."

Yukiya furrowed his brows, feeling lost.

"Why?"

"... Just wanted to say it."

And just like that, she walking and was back to normal. Yukiya kept pace with her.

 _What was that about?_

When they got to the front steps of the dorm, Stella turned around. She said goodbye with warm smile but before she could open the door, Yukiya stopped her.

"Tomorrow, if you have time," he started, "can I show you something?"

Her face lit up with a grin.

"Totally!" she enthusiastically nodded.

"Alright. See you tomorrow!"

"See you then! Sweet dreams, Yukiya!"

After that, they went to their dorms. However, once he got back to his room, Yukiya just laid on his and drifted into sweet daydreams. After awhile, Elias asked if he'd found his textbook.  
He'd forgotten it in the classroom.  
Again.


	9. A Nap Amongst Flowers

Stella was humming a cheery tune as she analyzed two outfits on her bed. As she was debating on which one to wear, Amelia returned from helping at the Dining Hall.

"Hey!" the orange-haired girl greeted her, "Oh, those are so cute! Having trouble deciding?"

"Yeah," Stella shyly nodded, "Which one do you think I should go with?"

"Hm," Amelia held her chin in thought, "What's the occasion? A date?"

"Um, I don't know... maybe? Yukiya invited me out. Said he wanted to show me something."

"What?! I didn't know you two were like that!"

"We're not!"

"You sure about that? Do you like him?"

"Amelia!"

The older girl started giggling. Then, she walked over to the two outfits. After looking them over, she picked up the one she thought would suit the situation,and offered to style Stella's hair. Giggling, she grabbed the outfit and ran into the bathroom to change.

Dressed in a cream colored tunic dress, and her hair done with a thick hairband braid with the rest of her black curls falling behind down her back, Stella did a small spin in front of the mirror. Happy with how she looked, she thanked Amelia, who ushered her out the door. As she headed outside, she decided something.

 _Amelia, just you wait! I'll help you with your crush and it'll be me who's helping your prepare for dates!_

When she stepped out through the door, ready to head to the boys' dorm, Stella was met with the sight of Yukiya leaning against a nearby tree. Rushing up, she began to worry.

"Sorry! You weren't waiting long, were you?"

 _I can't believe he came to pick me up!_

"I got here about an hour ago," he shrugged.

"An hour?! Yukiya, you should have called for me! I'm so sorry you had to wait so long!"

"I didn't want to bother."

 _... He's too nice for his own good..._

"Anyway," she continued, "where's Mr. Wolf?"

"On his own." he replied, looking away.

"Ah, okay."

 _Too bad... I wanna talk to him sometime._

With that, the blue haired boy began walking away. When she asked where they were going, he'd reply with some vague answer. After a while, she bit her lip. Debating on whether she should or shouldn't, Stella eventually decided to go for it. At first, she let her fingers brush against his. When he didn't pull away, she carefully tried holding his hand. To her surprised delight, he didn't pull away. With her cheeks pink, she allowed him to lead the way in a comfortable silence.

Eventually, they reached their destination. Stella gave a light gasp at what she saw. The area was covered by enough trees for light to pour in without it getting too hot, and enough shade for it to not be cold. The ground was covered with flowers that reached as far as the eye could see. They carpeted the forest floor in many different colors. When she looked up, she could see translucent rabbit-like creatures with ears that resembled a bird's wings. They floated through the air, disappearing and reappearing in different places.

"Yukiya," she began, her tone full of wonder, "are those Wing Rabbits?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, wow! I've never seen one before."

Stella reached her hand out to touch one nearby, only for it vanish into thin air. She bit her lip in disappointment, and Yukiya took her outstretched hand into his, gently pulling it back.

"Wing Rabbits are skittish," he explained, "If you stay still, they might come over."

"Ah."

After offering his suggestion, Yukiya sank to the ground. Stella followed suit and sat next to him.

"They live here," the blue haired boy informed her.

"Really? They're so cute!"

"Do you like them?"

"Uh huh! I love animals and magical creatures. Both my brother and I can talk to animals!"

"I see..."

"How about you?"

He nodded, and she grinned.

"Isn't an amazing gift? Animals are usually so kind, so long as you show respect," Stella said with a giggle, "I once forgot to add a Mrs. when I addressed a chicken, and she got so mad! They can be pretty scary, so I guess the relation between chickens and cowards was made by someone who's never met a chicken."

Yukiya gave a light chuckle, and an odd feeling swept over the girl's heart. Maybe she could get him to smile and laugh more.

"A friend of mine once said that Wing Rabbits have the power to bring happiness," she said with a happy sigh, "I think it might be true."

"They do put you in a better mood," he nodded.

As they continued talking, a wing rabbit appeared on Yukiya's shoulder. As Stella stared in surprise, he began lightly petting it. When she saw the gentle smile on his face, Stella's heart skipped a beat.

 _He looks so happy!_

"Like! Like! Like you!" chirped the magical creature.

"Aw," she cooed, "Yukiya, he really likes you."

"I used to play with wing rabbits a long time ago," Yukiya said with a nostalgic tone, "a lot of them lived in my hometown."

"Hm?" she leaned forward with interest, "What's your hometown like?"

"It was a small country town with mountains and rivers all over."

"That sounds so pretty. I've been to couple towns similar to yours. They were lovely forests, and so many animals, the air feels lighter and more free, and at night, you can see so many stars,..."

"And the people are nice." they said in sync.

Stella thought back to all the places the circus had visited. In almost all the towns, they had been welcomed and treated like the human beings they were. It was a wonderful feeling, seeing other children treat Lucio like any other kid.

"If I were to ever settle down some place, I'd want it to be someplace like that," Stella sighed, "Can you tell me more about your home?"

"Well," he began, "It was a small town, and everyone knew each other. We had a couple shops, a tavern, and some other places. There was a river nearby. It was about an hour's walk to the bigger town, and that's where the train station was, and where we got the news on what was going on around the kingdom."

"It sounds nice and comfortable."

"I lived there with my parents and my sibli-"

"You have siblings?" Stella leaned in, curious, "What are they like?"

"Um, there's seven of us total, and I'm the oldest. I have three brothers and three sisters."

The girl noted how happy and proud the boy looked.

"Aw, how sweet!"

"Yeah," he replied, his expression growing somber, "they must have grown a lot. Mao was just a baby."

"What... do you mean?"

He didn't say anything for a while, just picking at some flowers. Stella hesitantly reached out and laid her hand on his arm. He turned and looked at her. They stayed like that for a few moments before Yukiya sighed.

"I... left years ago, and I haven't been back," he quietly admitted, "I... I can never go back..."

As he hung his head, a distressed and heartbroken look fell across Yukiya's face. His eyes were full of pain and regret, and a lump formed in Stella's throat.

 _Is it because of the 'curse'? How lonely... If I could never see Lucy, or Evan, or Jamie, or anyone again, my heart would shatter... You must feel horrible, so, so awful..._

"Wha-"

Ignoring his surprise, Stella leaned over and hugged him. She rested his head on her shoulder and pet his hair. She didn't say anything, and after some time passed, she felt his arms hesitantly return the embrace. Eventually, they pulled a part.

"Don't you feel lonely?" he asked in a quiet tone.

"I miss my friends of course, especially Lucy," she replied, "but I can't say I'm lonely. I've made friends. Amelia and Elias are always helping me, and even Luca's a good guy, though he can be a bit mean. And, of course," Stella continued with a smile, "I have you."

"Stella..."

Yukiya reached out his hand and began petting her hair. She leaned into his touch with a shy giggle.

"You know, I have a little brother, too. His name is Lucio."

"What's he like?"

"He's more shy than me, but he's really sweet. I'm willing to bet he's got the warmest heart in all the world!"

For a while, she talked about her brother. Then, she told him the wild stories from when she was with La Magnifique Merveille. Yukiya listened, and together the two enjoyed the calm, light-hearted atmosphere.

* * *

 _"Yukiya! Look at how high I can climb!" called out a little boy._

 _"Be careful," reminded the blue haired boy._

 _He was carrying his baby brother, while his other brothers and sisters played. He sat down on a tree stump, petting the baby's hair. His oldest sister walked up. She placed one flower crown on his head, and a smaller one on the baby's._

 _"Now you both look pretty!" she laughed._

 _"Who's prettier?" smiled her older brother, "Me or Nori?"_

 _"Hmm..." the girl thought, "You!"_

 _The boy laughed, when he suddenly felt something on his nose. It started as his baby brother's hand, but it began to change shape and color. It grew scarlet red and looked more like a butterfly's wings._

* * *

Yukiya begn batting at his nose, but whatever was there wasn't about to leave. Groaning out of frustration, the boy opened his eyes.

"Finally!" sighed a voice.

Squinting against the sunlight, Yukiya could make out a bright red butterfly.

"There," she affirmed, "Now I've paid you back."

With that, she flew away. The boy furrowed his brow. He couldn't understand how waking him from a nap was paying him back. It wasn't like the curfew was coming up. With a sigh, he rubbed his eye. He must have fallen asleep while talking with Stella.

 _Where is she, anyway?_

Yukiya rolled over with the intent to get up and look for her, when he stopped short. There, right next to him, was the girl. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were pursed slightly. She was lying on her side, facing him. One hand was under her cheek, while the other was close to his hair. He thought back to the nostalgic sensation from when he had started drifting off.

 _Was she petting my hair?_

He watched as her breath moved the small flowers. She wasn't smiling, per say, but there was a peaceful expression on her face. Yukiya noticed some hair had fallen across her face. He reached out to brush it out of the way, and accidentally touched her cheek. Stella's eyelashes began to flutter and she opened her eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," he apologized.

"S'fine," she mumbled.

She gave him a sleepy smile and rubbed her eyes. A strange feeling fell over the boy, one unlike anything he'd felt before. A pulling in his heart and a strange urge to hold her close. Slowly, he lifted his hand and reached forward. He pet her hair until she seemingly fell back asleep. As he watched her resting, he could feel his own eyelids growing heavier. Just as sleep started to consume him, he felt a smaller hand wrap around his.

* * *

After bidding a bashful farewell to Yukiya, Stella went up to her room. As she closed the door, her roommate leaped up and ran towards her.

"Did you hear?" she asked, her tone heavy with worry, "Luca fell down the stairs and got seriously hurt!"

"Is he okay?!"

"I don't know. I heard a professor was nearby and rushed to help him."

Stella's once happy mood darkened. She was worried about her friend, and it didn't help that she didn't know his current condition. A look passed through Amelia's eyes, and a knot formed in the girl's stomach.

"Stella, there's a new rumor going around..."

She knew what the orange-haired girl was about to say, even before the words left her lips.

"They're blaming Yukiya and his curse."

Stella clenched her fists in frustration. She knew people could be cruel, but it was still painful.

 _He's such a nice guy! He doesn't deserve this!_

Despite how string her thoughts were, the voice that left Stella's lips were sad and quiet.

"Why are people like this, Amelia?" she asked, "Elias isn't cursed, and neither am I. We spend the most time with him. Why don't hey think about that?"

The older girl sat down next to her on the bed. She reached out and pulled the younger girl into a gentle hug.

"I don't know, Stella. It's not right. It's not right at all."

"Why don't they get it? Why can't they understand?"

"I understand," Amelia gently told her, "Luca's accident was just that. An accident. There are other people who know that, I promise."

The two stayed like that for a while. Amelia kept petting her hair, until Stella could stop sniffling. She grew worried about how the others would be treating the gentle, blue-haired boy. Biting her lip, she looked her roommate and friend in the eyes.

"Amelia, I'd like to write a letter home."


	10. The Aruenaristy and the Fragile Hearts

"Just put this stamp on the letter, and it'll fly to whoever it's addressed to," a tall girl with glasses said, never looking up from her book.

"Thank you," Stella replied.

She walked out of the mail room. Normally, students could only send out letters on designated days, but she managed to convince the cute purple-haired boy and the girl to make her an exception.

"Good bye, pretty girl!" the boy called out, "I- We'll make sure your letter goes where it needs to!"

Stella smiled and waved.

"You're gonna creep her out, Zach," she heard the girl sigh.

Closing the door, she made her way to class. She couldn't bring herself to smile at the moment, for she was too worried. Luca was seriously injured, Yukiya would certainly be harassed about it, and she could only hope her letter would help. With a sigh, Stella walked towards the stairs. She looked down, trying to find something to make herself feel better. Perhaps if she could be positive, Yukiya could, too. However, she hadn't thought about the other students.

"Oof!" Stella stumbled after walking into someone.

"Are you okay?" asked a familiar voice.

"Luca!" she cried out, lifting her head, "Aren't you injured? Should you even be here?"

"Um, yes?" he furrowed his brows in confusion, "What injury are you talking about?"

"You fell down the stairs and got hurt really badly, right?"

"Oh," he chuckled, "I only fell down a few steps. I scraped my elbow, but it was healed with magic."

"That's... all?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "but you look like you were expecting worse. Let me guess, another rumor? Probably about Yukiya's curse?"

Stella gave a solemn nod. Luca sighed with an exasperated expression.

"Then it's a good idea I came in today. And to think, I was almost gonna skip."

"You're a good guy," she smiled up at him.

"Your words, not mine," he shrugged, "Better not take them back later."

She giggled, then her expression seemed to grow more serious.

"I hate rumors, they only cause pain. So, thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" he smirked, "Are you t-"

"I'm allowed to be grateful," she huffed with red cheeks, "Actions and words spoken for others can be driven by things besides love.

With that, she continued walking to class with a snickering Luca beside her.

Opening the door, the two weren't surprised with what they found. The room was filled with chatter, until they noticed the girl's arrival. As she walked towards her desk, they began whispering to one another. Clenching her fists, she sat down. The girl from her dorm walked by her, offering a sympathetic look. She noticed the girl blatantly refusing to discuss the rumor.

 _Well, it's a start, at least. The rest of them had better follow her lead soon..._

"Hey."

She looked up. The three girls from before were standing in front of her desk, their gazes very much unfriendly. Stella looked back at them without any expression.

"Yes? Do you need something?"

"Yeah," the girl in the middle stepped forward, "Why do you hang out with Yukiya? You know he's cursed!"

"I haven't seen any proof," Stella huffed.

"What about Luca's accident?"

"The rumors were exaggerated. He's here today."

"Wha-"

And then Yukiya walked in.  
The room went silent as he walked towards Stella. The wolf trailed behind as the boy greeted her.

"Good morning... Stella."

"Good morning, Yukiya," she smiled up at him.

"How are you?"

 _I won't let him see how upset I am. I can't. And I definitely won't let these people erase the fun I had yesterday!_

"I'm good!"

"All right," he replied, "good to know."

With those words, he went to his usual seat. Stella couldn't suppress a small sigh. He was being blamed and had to be the center of cruel rumors, yet he seemed more concerned with her.

 _Mr. Amicus, please, send a letter back as soon as you can..._

A young woman with a loose chocolate brown bun and warm, rose-colored eyes stepped into the room. All the students ceased their whispering and went to their seats. Straightening her pale pink shirt's color, Professor Hart began class.

* * *

"Today, we're going to a time just after Gedonlune was founded," she began, "2000 years, wizards were a rare thing. Back then, only one person out of thousands of others was born with the ability to use magic."

Yukiya stared out the window, only half-listening. The full moon would be there soon, and he had to prepare for the pain and misery to come.

"People used to believe that those who could use magic had the blood of dragons running through their veins. Neat, huh?"

"Dragons?" he heard Stella whisper in awe.

"Dragons are truly fascinating creatures," the professor continued, "It's said that they represent one of the seven deadly sins. Does anyone know which one?"

Yukiya noticed a shift in Stella's posture. Then, she stuck her hand up, and the teacher chose her.

"Wrath!"

"Well done, Stella. That's earned you some points," the woman grinned, "Now, in the present, no one actually believes wizards are descended from dragons and those stories became nothing more than legends. How disappointing."

The class chuckled, then she went on.

"Now, it is said that those born from a human and a magical creature tend to have a higher tendency to be wizards. In those days, those with power competed with one another to bring magic users to their sides. They considered the wizards to be symbols of wealth and power, like gold or gems. That in turn gave the wizards muh power as to who they wanted to work for. Some lived long lives by serving under masters with contracts, while others took darker paths."

Again, he saw the girl in front of him stiffen. However, this time, he didn't believe it was from anticipation.

"Some used curses , magical tools, or even held the wizard's family hostage in order to enslave them," Professor Hart took on a lighter tone, "But today, things are much different. The differences between classes have softened and wizards are free to mingle with those who can't use magic. Thus, many magic-based industries have flourished. There is no longer any desire to own a wizard. As for the future of wizards and non-magic users, it's up to you all to decide."

Not long after she spoke those words, the bell rang. Students began filing out of the classroom. Professor Hart called out asking him to stay after class.

"Hey, Yukiya?" Stellas began as she approached him, "Do you want to meet up later? By the lake?"

"Sure."

"Sweet! I'll see you then," she chirped as she walked away.

As the last of the students left the room, Professor Hart chuckled.

"She's quite fond of you," she mused, "I'm glad."

Yukiya tilted his head.

"Oh, Yukiya," she sighed, "A pretty girl is showing interest in you, and you in her. It's nice to see how you've changed in these past few days. I'm happy that you're getting closer to other people."

The wolf rolled his eyes.

 _Have I really changed?_

"Sorry, that may have sounded strange," she continued, "We were getting worried about you. Anyway, you're going to be getting sick again pretty soon, right? I just wanted to let you know that I'll have the work you'll miss ready the day after tomorrow, so if you could pick it up, that'd be great."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

"Like! Like! Like!"

Stella squealed. With her hands to her cheeks, she was fawning over a fat wing rabbit. He had shown up while she was waiting for Yukiya, and seemed to be in no rush to leave. In fact, he'd sat himself on her lap.

"I like you, too!" she giggled, "I like, like you!"

"Good! Good!"

She laughed again. The girl began petting his fur, and the wing rabbit purred.

 _I didn't know they purred! How cute!_

She was so absorbed in the magical creature, she jumped when Yukiya's wolf snorted. Turning her head, she found him walking by her towards the lake. As expected, Yukiya came walking up behind him.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"That's good," she sighed, then brightened, "Did you know wing rabbits purr?"

He tilted his head.

"It's so cute! Just like a cat! There was a chubby one here just a moment ago."

"Too bad I missed it," Yukiya said, sitting down next to her.

While he wasn't a very vocal person, she believed she'd gotten better at reading him. At the moment, he seemed a bit happy. He didn't say anything more, and Stella didn't speak up either. Instead, they sat in a comfortable and quiet atmosphere as they listened to the world around them. She let out a content sigh as a light breeze moved through their hair, rustled the leaves, and made ripples in the water.

 _It's so beautiful here..._

Out of the corner of her eye, Stella saw a white flower blooming in between them. When she reached out to brush te petals with her finger, her movement caught the boy's attention.

"Look at that," she said quietly, "it's an aruenaristy."

 _Mom had those flowers in the pictures of their wedding. I think they mentioned it being a common way to propose to someone._

"Do you like that flower?" the boy asked.

She nodded.

Without any hesitation, he picked it and offered it to her. A blush bloomed across her cheeks and the boy tilted his head in confusion. It was clear he had no idea what his actions meant. The girl suppressed a sigh.

"Why, Yukiya," Stella began, leaning in close, "I'm flattered, really, I am. However, next time you give a girl an aruenaristy, you had better be ready to marry her."

"Oh."

His expression didn't shift in the slightest.

"Oh, Yukiya..." she sighed, then gave him a defeated smile, "Thank you."

She carefully took the flower from him, cradling it in her hand.

"Do you like flowers?" he asked.

"Yes, I love them!" she nodded back.

"Can you talk to them?"

"To flowers?"

"Yeah. Serge Durandal could, but flowers never talk to me."

His disappointed expression was pretty cute, and Stella nearly told him so. Before she could, however, an idea popped into her head.

 _Maybe he'll smile!_

"I can hear flowers, you know," she boasted, "I haven't told anyone about until now!"

"Really?"

She nodded, then held out the flower in her hand.

"Listen you should hear it, too."

He put his ear next to it. After a few minutes, he leaned back and shook his head. She gave him a warm smile.

"This flower says you're not scary in the slightest. In fact, it's saying you're one of the kindest people to ever walk through these halls. It thinks that other people ought to know how... how wonderful you really are."

His reaction was unlike anything she had seen or thought of before. Total shock. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was slightly agape.

And then the boy smiled.  
It was so warm, so gentle, it took the girl's breath away.  
He gently clasped her hands in his, and her heart pounded against her chest.

"Thank you."

For some reason, the two words he spoke brought tears to her eyes.

"...That's what the flower said..."

"You liar. You can't really hear flowers, can you?"

Her eyes widened slightly. He had such a warm look on his face, she was a bit lost on what to do.

"You better not call me a liar!" she huffed, turning her head.

"But did you lie?"

"Maybe! Maybe not!"

"Just admit if you did."

"Yukiya Reizen! One more word about it, and I'll-I'll- I'll make you regret it!"

"So you did lie."

She whipped her head around and stared him in the eye. Usually, there was a blank, guarded barrier, but now she could see the laughter and happiness he was feeling.  
Regardless, she had her dignity, and a promise to keep.

"You asked for it!"

With that, she threw her arms around his neck. He cried out in surprise, but she ignored it. Instead, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He said nothing, and he was completely stiff.

 _Why did I do that?! That wasn't the plan! I didn't have a plan, but even if I did, it wouldn't be this! Oh, how do I fix this?!_

Afraid to see his face, afraid to see if she had made him lose that look in his eye, she kept hugging his neck and hiding her face. After her heart calmed, albeit not by much, she whispered her next words.

"Fine... I lied... I just... I wanted you to feel better... to smile... You have a beautiful smile, you know..."

It was silent for a few more moments, and the girl subconsciously tightened her embrace. Then, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.

"Thanks."

It was amazing how many emotions that one word held. She could hear the smile in his voice, and feel the happiness and gratitude. She went to pull back and see his face, when she found it was _him_ holding her tightly.

"When I'm with you," he told her, "I feel warm. It's a happy, warm feeling."

The warmth from his hand seemed to seep right into her heart. She was starting to get that sort of feeling the more time she spent with him.  
This time, when she pulled away, he didn't try to stop her. She smiled up at him, and he returned her gaze.

"Shall we put that in your hair?" he asked, carefully ting the flower from her.

She tilted her head to the side, and Yukiya placed the flower behind her ear. As her heart rate accelerated, another blush lit up her cheeks.

"The sun's starting to set." he stated, standing up, "We should get back."

"Okay."

He helped her to her feet. Then, they walked towards the dorms. Though they weren't touching anymore, Stella could still feel his warmth.

 _I wish we could stay like this a little longer. I... I don't want to part._

...  
...

"What is this feeling?" Stella wondered aloud.

She would have consulted Amelia, but she was fast asleep. Her roommate was probably the heaviest sleeper she knew, and the girl was competing with a wolfman, a giant snake, and one of her best friends!

With her friends' sleeping habits aside, the girl was staring at the ceiling with a hand over her heart. As she kept trying to find a reason for the pulling in her heart, she heard a sudden tapping from the room's small balcony. Her curiosity overpowered her caution as she went to investigate. Pulling back the curtains, she saw someone she never expected to see again.

"Open! Open!" cried a fat wing rabbit.

"Oh! Come in!" she ushered, unlocking the door's latch.

It flew inside, then turned around and flew into her arms.

"Missed you! Missed you!"

"Sh, sh!" she scolded, "I missed you, too, but Amelia's sleeping. Let's step outside."

"Happy! Hot damn!"

Stella snorted.

Closing the door behind them, she looked out. The campus really was beautiful at night.

"Yay! Outside!"

"Hush, now. The housemother will hear you, and then you'l have to go."

"Got it!"

 _I'm not sure you do..._

He began disappearing and reappearing in different spots. She smiled softly at the creature's energy. However, a flicker of movement caught the girl's attention.  
Out in the distance, a figure emerged from the trees by the boys' dorm. Squinting her eyes, she realized it was Yukiya. She grew very confused.

"Your sweetie!"

"You hush!"

She shifted her attention back to the boy. A shiver ran down her spine as she wondered what he was doing.

"Let's investigate." she whispered to the magical creature.

"Yay! Break rules!"

"No, this is different. I'm worried about him."

She thought about how to get to the ground. She didn't want to risk going down the stairs, as it was said the housemother's room was near the front door. On the other hand, she couldn't just jump down from the second floor. Looking around, she found a risky solution.  
Thick vines were growing by their balcony, and they _looked_ strong enough to carry her weight.

 _Let's find out!_

Thankfully, they were. She safely climbed to the ground, but when the girl turned around, the boy was out of sight. She turned to the rabbit for help, who promptly found his trail. Eventually, they found him, though the two kept a safe distance. They ended up at the edge of the East Forest, where Yukiya abruptly stopped. She was about to sneak over, when she saw someone with him. Grabbing the wing rabbit, she hid in the bushes.

She leaned closer, and saw who he was talking to. A beautiful woman with red hair, a graceful aura, and a full figure. She seemed young, but also too old to be a student. That had to be why it felt like needles were poking Stella's heart. It was because the woman was out of place.  
It had nothing to do with how this elegant lady was talking in such a friendly way with Yukiya  
Who had broken the rules and snuck out  
Late at night.

Stella couldn't hear their words, no matter how much she strained her ears.

The woman gently laid her hand on the boy's eye-patch, whispered something, then moved closer to him.

 _Stop! Please don't!_

An odd kind of pain and fear filled the girl's heart. A feeling so strong, it pushed the girl to flee, to run back to the dorm.  
To not see something that would break her heart.

As she ran, the mysterious song filled the air.  
Its tune seemed sadder than usual.  
The girl preferred it that way.


	11. Raining Frogs and Extra Credit

Stella let out a sigh.

"Are you alright?" asked an older girl with two blonde ponytails.

She'd been another of Stella's dormmates that had eaten breakfast with her. She seemed to be on good terms with Amelia, so Stella was curious about her.

 _I think her name's Vivian..._

"I'm alright," she smiled back, "just a bit tired."

The older girl smiled at her, then linked her arm through hers.

"Hey, Amelia had to go take care of classes, so why don't we chat for a bit?" Vivian suggested.

"Alright," Stella nodded, "I love your ribbons, by the way."

"Oh, thanks!"

The pair walked, talking about this and that. Stella learned that her companion had met Amelia at the beginning of the school year, and the two had become fast friends. Since it seemed like the older girls knew each other better than Stella did, it came as a surprise when Vivian asked her a question.

"By the way," she started, "Is Amelia dating anyone?"

 _Huh?_

"No, not at the moment."

 _Though she seems to like someone..._

"Okay, great!" Vivian grinned, "My friend has the biggest crush on her!"

"R-really? Are they cute?"

She nodded.

"Sweet? Kind? Well-mannered?"

More nodding.

 _It can't hurt for the person to confess. They'll probably feel better if they say it, whether they're feelings are accepted or not. It should boost Amelia's self-confidence, too, and maybe even be the push she needs to confess to her own crush!_

"Then they have a chance."

The two girls giggled. Before she knew, they had walked up to the Fortitudo Hall. Waving good-bye to each other, Stella turned to walk to her class. As she walked through the door, someone came walking out.

"Oof!" she grunted colliding with someone's chest.

"Woah, careful there!" Luca chuckled, catching her.

"Sorry!" she sighed, "I was zoning out."

"Well, if it means I get to hold you, zone out all you want," he winked.

"Oh my god," she laughed, lightly stepping out of his arms, "You have _no_ shame, whatsoever."

"What can I say? Guilty as charged."

Suddenly, they both heard Professor Merkulova's voice. As though it were a signal, the green-haired boy said his goodbyes and ran off. Turning her head back around, the teacher greeted her and followed her into the classroom. Just as she sat down at her seat, Yukiya walked in. She flashed back to what she'd seen last night.

 _What was that all about?_

She gave him smile, albeit awkward, and greeted him.

"Good... morning," he nodded back.

Stella watched his face. There was something a bit off about him. It was in his eyes, something she had seen before in the eyes of one of her friends.

* * *

 _The woman gently laid her hand on the boy's eye-patch, whispered something, then moved closer to him._

* * *

Her body stiffened.

 _Is it because of her?_

"Y-You should probably sit down," she smiled, trying to hide her uneasiness, "Class is about to start."

"Okay," he nodded, then went to do as she had suggested followed by his wolf.

With that, class began. Professor Merkulova told them the day's lesson would focus on talismans. The girl learned that while they could use magic to protect someone, it could only protect a single person. The magic differed, depending on how it was applied, and could come in various forms.

"Stella," the professor smiled at her gently, "do you know the gemstone that represents unconditional love?"

"Hmm... Rose Quartz!"

"Well done," he praised her, "A point will be added to your grade."

"Thank you!"

 _And thanks for the lessons, Amelia!_

"Now, today you'll be creating talismans out of paper. You must pair up, and your talisman should protect your partner from the rain I create. Be sure to use your textbooks."

After he said that, students sprang up to find partners. Turning her head, Stella wasn't surprised to find Yukiya standing by himself. Although she felt a bit awkward, she wasn't about to abandon the boy. With that, she walked towards him.

"Hey, Yukiya, wanna partner u-"

"Stella!"

The pair turned their heads. A boy with auburn hair was biting his lip, looking nervous.

"D-do you want to... to pair up?" he stuttered, looking terribly nervous.

 _His name is... Peter, I think._

"Well," she began, when someone answered for her.

"Sorry, she and I are partners," Yukiya said.

Disappointment fell over the other boy's face. Stella felt guilty and stepped forward. Picking up his hand, she gave him a bright smile.

"Next time we work with partners or groups, we can pair up, okay?"

"R-really?!" he squeaked in surprise, "T-thanks!"

"For now," another voice broke in, "we can pair up."

They turned to find Elias walking up.

"Next time Yukiya and I will partner up," he added.

The four agreed, then turned to work. As Stella sat next to her partner, her heart began to feel strange. She tried to push it away as she copied the magic circle from the book onto her talisman. When she finished, she watched Yukiya activate the charm. Then, she copied him.

 _I-I hope I did that correctly..._

They exchanged their talismans, and the professor cast summoned rain. Looking up, Stella found the rain shedding off, as though she were using an invisible umbrella. She turned towards Yukiya, excited to show him it was working, when she saw forks of electricity lashing out of the talisman she'd given him. Before she could do anything, though, there was a flash of light.

"Ribbit!"

The raindrops shifted from water to frogs. Her classmates began shouting, and she fearfully turned towards the professor. He was trying to hide his laughter as a frog sat on his head. He walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Stella, I believe you lacked the necessary concentration for the task. Let's clean this up, and then I'd like to stay here after class."

"Yes, sir..."

With that decided, the class set to cleaning up. As she had expected, her classmates weren't thinking too highly of her. She got a few glares, but was ignored for the most part. Well, except for Peter, Elias, and Yukiya. Once they finished, the bell rang and the students filed out of the room. When they had all left, she walked towards Professor Merkulova's desk.

"I'm sorry about today, sir!" she apologized bowing her head.

"It's alright, Stella," he soothed, "I understand. You're powerful, so you need to exercise better concentration, alright?"

"Yes, sir..."

He smiled sympathetically, then spoke up.

"You know, I was horrible at magic when I was your age."

"Really?!"

"Really. Which is why I'm going to offer you chance to earn some points, like one of my teachers did for me."

"T-Thank you!"

"Anytime," he chuckled, then handed her a document, "I'll need the paper by tomorrow. You can use the kitchen next door, since no one will bother you. Pick any of the fruits from the blue drawer in the refrigerator."

She thanked him again, then ran off to do the assignment. As she went through the door, she almost ran into Yukiya.

"Oh, hi!"

"Hey..."

She looked up at him, feeling a bit confused.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I wanted to see if you were."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "Professor Merkulova gave me an opportunity for some extra points. I have to write a report and turn it in tomorrow."

"I can help you."

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that! I was the one who messed up!"

He shook his head.

"It's fine."

She couldn't help but smile. While she was worried about the previous night's incident, she wasn't going to push him away now.

"Thanks!"

...  
...

"Oh, how about the pairs? They look really good!"

"Okay."

Yukiya watched as the girl rolled up her sleeves, washed the fruit, and set it on the cutting board. The fruit, called the Pair Pear, was a heart shape and had a golden color.

 _What does it do again? I can't remember..._

It was only the two of them in the room, as his wolf had decided to leave them alone. The boy was glad he could enjoy the girl's presence in peace.

"So, Yukiya," Stella began, "I know that magical fruits have some sort of effect on the consumers, but how long do they last?"

"Not long. The magic's not very strong."

She nodded and turned to write in her notebook. Then she cut the pair in half. However, instead of handing it to him, she began carving into it. He watched in confused silence until she turned back to him.

"Ta-da! See? I made them look like bunnies!"

Her creations were cute, he admitted, but so was the proud smile on her face.

Stella handed one half to him and kept the other for herself. Then, they both ate their halves. She grinned at its flavor, and Yukiya wiped the juices from his lips. They waited for its magical effect. Moments passed, and the girl spoke up.

"... Nothing? I took it from the blue drawer like he said..." she mumbled, furrowing her brows.

Maybe there's something we need to-"

Suddenly, there was a strong magical force pulling him towards her, like a magnet. Based on her expression, she felt it too. However, while Yukiya had been able to stop himself in time, Stella had not.

"Eep!" she squealed, colliding with his chest, "S-sorry!"

She immediately tried to pull herself back, and the boy remembered the fruit's affects.

 _Pair Pears those who eat them together. But like a rubber band, if one person pulls away..._

She let out another squeal as she was flung back towards him with a force twice as strong. Her momentum pushed him off balance, and together they fell. She wrapped her arms around him, so he wasn't hurt when the hit the ground.

"A-are you okay? Oh, I'm sorry!" she gasped, a guilty expression falling over her face.

"I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yeah..."

It was then that they realized the position they were in. It looked like she had pushed him down. He watched as her face turned red. He looked up at her big blue eyes, then drifted down to her full lips. Lips so close, he could feel her breath. A pair of slim arms on either side of him, holding up her slim body. She lightly bit her lip, as though trying to think of a way out of their situation.  
He gulped.

"M-maybe if I move slower..."

* * *

 _Yukiya had been walking to class, followed by his wolf. The girl hadn't been at breakfast that morning, but her roommate had been. He felt odd about not being able to see her, and ended up looking forward to going to class. Likely because that would be where he would see Stella. However, as he approached, he saw something he hadn't expected._

 _Stella was being held in Luca's arms, just in front of the classroom door. They were talking, and the girl laughed as she stepped out of his arms, while Luca had a smirk on his face._

 _"They're getting along quite nicely, aren't they?" observed the wolf, "It wouldn't be a surprise if something developed between them."_

 _A strange feeling fell over the boy. It was an unpleasant feeling, some mix of annoyance sadness, and other nameless emotions. All he knew for sure was that he didn't like the feeling he got when he saw the pair in the almost intimate position._

* * *

Yukiya carefully wrapped his arms around Stella's waist and gently pulled her close.

"You'll just be pushed towards me again. Likely with even more force."

 _That's true, at least._

"R-really? Then, I'll stay put if that's alright."

"Let's move against the cabinets so we can lay our backs against something."

"Alright."

With that, the boy sat up, trying to ignore his companion's light gasp at their (even) closer proximity. He led her over to some cabinets, then reached up to grab her pen and notebook. He set them down, then turned her to face forward. Before she could say a word, he pulled her close, so that her back was leaning against his chest. She was stiff at first, then seemed to lean back into him. She picked up her materials.

"Well, if you don't mind, I should probably get to writing. I'll leave this out though."

"Okay."

She began writing, and Yukiya narrowed his eye.

 _Why... did I have her sit like this? I didn't give it any thought, yet here we are..._

He suddenly realized she was humming a song.  
 _That_ song.

"Stella," he started, "where did you hear that?"

"Huh? Oh, I started hearing it the first night I got here. I've never heard it during the day, though. Do you hear it, too?"

 _This is bad._

"Yeah."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she sighed, leaning back into him, "Its soothing."

"I need you to do something for me."

"Hm? Are you alright?"

"Don't tell anyone you can hear the songs, okay?"

"What's wrong? Can the others not hear it?"

"Only us. You absolutely must not tell anyone."

"O-okay, but why?"

He laid both hands on her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze.

"For your own safety. There's a reason not everyone hears it. I don't want you to find out the reason why."

She stiffened.

"Alright..."

Silence ruled the kitchen. She set back to writing, clearly on edge. He felt bad for scaring her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you..."

"It's alright. I understand what you're saying. Thanks for watching out for me..."

He gave her shoulders another gentle squeeze, hoping it would somehow offer some comfort.

 _I'll watch out for you, though. That I promise._


	12. Contract and Bitter Regrets

_"Sprikuenall kohdu…  
Sriitanmera muruto…"  
_

Stella rubbed her eyes. It was still night, but she felt an odd, but strong urge to get up. Dressed in a simple, short blue nightgown, she stumbled towards the balcony. Opening the doors wide, she stepped out to listen.

 _"Ra ho koradu...  
Stokunsa spira..."_

While Yukiya had warned her about it, he hadn't explained what it was. Curiosity flooded her mind, and she debated whether or not she should try to find the source.

* * *

 _"Children, children," laughed a woman with a bushy beard, "you can't fear the outside forever! The world is full of wonder!"_

 _"And horror," grumbled the tattooed man next to her, "so you guys need to be careful."_

 _A little girl bit her lip in thought._

 _"Wonder!"_

 _"Horror!"_

 _"Adventure!"_

 _"Disaster!"_

 _Suddenly, a cold hand rested on the girl's shoulder. She jerked in surprise and looked up. A handsome man pale as a corpse gave her a warm smile._

 _"What our friends are trying to say," he explained, "is that you should follow your heart, but bring your mind along with you."_

* * *

 _Well, Gavriil, I'm gonna follow that advice. After all, I may learn something about Yukiya!_

With that thought, she quietly grabbed her shoes, careful to not wake up her sleeping roommate. She crept out and climbed down the same vine she'd used the first time she'd snuck out.

 _"Sprikuenall kohdu…"_

She silently made her way through the courtyard, following the mysterious song. Stella kept throwing glances around her, afraid a night guard or something would find. She was so absorbed in her thoughts, she was caught off guard when her foot landed on something other than pavement. Looking up, she found she was at the entrance of the East Forest. A shiver went down her spine. It should have just been a normal forest, and all things were more fearful when hidden in the shadows of night, but there was something... wicked about the East Forest.  
So why was the lovely music flowing out from it?

Standing right in front of it, it felt more like Stella was looking into a dark void, rather than a forest.

 _Just what kind of spell was cast here?_

As she stood there, a fog seemed to fill her mind. Everything around her felt surreal, as though it were all a dream. Her actions were hers, yet they weren't. She took a step towards the forest, but before her foot could touch the ground, a hand grabbed her shoulder. Snapped back to reality, she turned around to find a woman.  
The same woman who'd been with Yukiya.

A strange, almost bitter feeling fell over Stella's heart, but she pushed it down when she saw the stern look on the woman's face.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked, her tone portraying just how upset she was.

"I-I was sleepwalking!" she lied, remembering Yukiya's warning.

 _Is she the reason he said not to talk about the song?_

"May I ask what you're doing here?" Stella asked.

"You may not."

"May I ask how you know Yukiya?"

The woman's eyes widened for a moment.

 _Ha! I've got her!_

A small snicker escaped the red-haired woman's lips, but she regained her composure immediately after.

"He and I have known each other for a while," she stated.

 _Does she know why he... he hasn't gone home?_

"He and I haven't know each other very long, but I think we're pretty close," Stella claimed.

The woman didn't bother hiding the amused look in her eyes.  
It frustrated Stella greatly.

"Stella, it's rather late," the woman said, a smirk dancing on her lips, "and you're not supposed to be out at night, right?"

"I-I-"

The woman stepped to the side, gesturing for the girl to head back to the dorms. With a bitter sigh, Stella walked to the dorms.

 _She's actually following me! She's making sure I really go!_

When they got there, she was surprised by the woman leading her away from the front door. They stood beneath a few trees, where they wouldn't be noticed by anyone who might be looking through the windows. The woman in the black clothes pulled out a wand and began casting a spell. A dark smoke swirled around Stella, and the girl grew tense.

"W-what is this?"

"A spell. It'll make you undetectable for about twenty minutes. You'll need to get back to your room quickly, or else you may get in trouble," the woman explained.

"Wait, why are you helping me?"

The woman just smiled. She completed the spell, and then began another. With a start, the girl realized it was teleportation magic.

"Stop! Who are you?"

"I'll let you figure that out."

And then she was gone.  
Stella waited a few moments, then whirled around and trudged back to her dorm.

 _Who is she anyway?!_

...  
...

Stella rested her head on her hand, stewing over the previous night's odd occurrence. It had given her a lot to think about. She'd skipped breakfast and avoided her friends.  
Yukiya, especially.

She felt awful about it, but every time she saw the blue-haired boy, she thought of the woman. It gave her a painful, bitter feeling. That had to be because of how the woman seemed to look at her like she was a silly child.  
That must be it.  
Certainly not because she seemed to be so close to Yukiya.

 _Yukiya is allowed to have friends. It's good that he has friends! She's different, but it's because she's so mysterious! She's a beautiful lady, with a mature air, and she's shrouded in mystery... She's just out of place here... That's it..._

Perhaps it was clear that she wasn't in the mood to chat, because none of her classmates came to talk to her, not even Elias.

 _Scratch that. Here comes Luca._

Stella went back to staring at the ground. Suddenly, a cute boy's face slipped into her vision. Sitting on one knee, Luca stared up at her. When he was sure he had her attention, he offered a lopsided smile.

"There's the pretty lady. We were worried since you didn't show up this morning. Amelia said you wanted to be alone and came to class early."

Stella sighed and shrugged.

"... Just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I'm fine though."

"Of course you are. I never said otherwise."

Stella raised an eyebrow. Luca began snickering.

"Now that's a first."

"What is?"

"You're not smiling! In fact, you almost look annoyed."

Stella puffed out her cheeks and turned her head.  
It only made the green-haired boy burst into laughter.

"Oh, man! I never thought I'd see the day that Stella Carlevaro would be anything but optimistic!"

At this point, Elias walked over.

"If you know she's not in a good mood, why would you pester her?" he asked with a heavy sigh.

Luca stood back up and stretched his back.

"At least I'm asking, and not just sitting and worrying," Luca replied, "unlike _some_ people."

Elias said something, but Stella didn't catch. She'd already gone back to her thoughts. She didn't even realize when a certain boy walked in. Nor did she notice when when that boy walked over to her desk. Or the first few times he tried to get her attention.

When she did realize he was there, she averted her gaze when she greeted him.

"What's the matter?" Yukiya asked.

"W-What do you mean?"

"You won't look at me?"

A wave of guilt fell over Stella, but she still couldn't face him.

"... It's just your imagination. You should probably go sit. Class will start soon.

"... Okay."

Professor Merkulova walked in. He began the lesson, but Stella barely processed what he was saying.  
At the very least, she didn't mess up too badly.

...  
...

Running her hands through her hair, Stella groaned. She had left before anyone could stop her, before Yukiya could stop her, and ended up wandering through the halls. She'd gotten lost before she knew it.

"I'm awful!" she whined, "All I've done is make everyone worry! "

She kept walking, even though she had no idea where she was going. Getting more and more lost, she realized that she was completely alone in the hall. With another groan, she leaned against a wall and slumped down. She curled up and and shut her eyes.

 _Gavriil, Mr. Amicus, Berella, Lucy! Where are you when I need you?! What am I supposed to do?_

"Stella? Are you okay?"

The girl's head shot up. There, squatting before her with a concerned look in his eyes, was Yukiya. He repeated his question.

"I-I'm fine!"

"You're acting odd today," he pushed, "did I do something?"

 _Who is that woman? Why did you meet her at the East Forest? Why can't you go home? What is with your 'curse'?_

"I... I'm just homesick."

She gave him a smile, but he only frowned.

"You don't need to fake a smile."

"I-!"

Before she could finish what she was saying, Yukiya stood up and offered his hand. Stella looked at him hesitantly. After a moment, he took her hand and gently, but firmly pulled. Now that she no longer had a choice, she let him help her up.

"The dorms are this way."

With that, he led her down the halls. In under less than ten minutes, they were back by the classrooms. When they reached their classroom, Stella stopped. Yukiya turned around.

"I... I'm sorry, Yukiya. I just need some time alone right now. I have a lot to think about."

He stared at her, but after a few moments his gaze fell to the ground.

"Okay. Goodbye, Stella."

A strange feeling clutched her heart when he said her name.

"Bye..."

She watched him go. Once he was out of sight, she heavily sighed.

 **BANG!**

At the sound of the door swinging open, Stella squealed in surprise.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Professor Hart apologized.

"I-it's fine," Stella reassured her, though she pressed a hand over her heart.

The professor stared at her for a few moments, then stepped out.

"You look upset. I take it it has something to do with Yukiya?"

"He didn't do anything!"

The woman stared at her, though her gaze was filled with concern.

"You don't seem to be yourself today," she sighed, then brightened, "I was heading to the Headmaster's office to drop off some papers. Would you mind helping me?"

"Sure."

With that, Stella was handed a stack of papers. She walked a step or two behind the professor. Neither spoke, so the only sound around them was the distant murmur of students and the clicking of Professor Hart's heels. The girl was grateful that she wasn't asked any questions. It didn't take long to reach the Headmaster's office. The two adults greeted each other, and the women dropped off the papers. As the girl was arranging them on the desk, the professor and the headmaster began quietly discussing something. Then, Professor Hart left.

"Stella," Headmaster Randolph called, "could you wait here a moment?"

"Yes, sir."

She took a seat in front of his desk, and the headmaster walked over to a tea set.

"Would you like a cup?"

"Yes, sir."

He handed her a small cup. She thanked him as he took the seat behind the desk.

"Is there something weighing on your mind?"

After a few moments of hesitation, she spoke up.

"It's... about Yukiya..."

"I was under the impression that you two were getting along quite well."

"Yes, well... I guess, that I... I might be the only one who thinks that. He's hiding things, important things. I'm beginning to think he doesn't trust me..."

"I see," the headmaster nodded, "then perhaps I should tell you something about him."

Stella nodded.

"Yukiya is not cursed like the rumors say. Rather, he's made a contract."

"A contract?"

 _Oh, what happened?_

"In order to achieve a wish of his, he had to give up something dear to him."

Stella bit her lip, pity filling her heart.

"Now, Yukiya wants nothing more than to rid himself of what he sacrificed so much for. It was for that reason he wanted to join this academy."

"What did he wish for?"

"Magic."

 _So he wasn't born with it, nor did it develop naturally..._

"What... What did he trade for magic?"

"Stella, that is something I am not at liberty to say. All I can tell you is that his sacrifice cost him dearly. It is such that at times, it is too much for him to bear. For him, it is nothing but a curse. I'm afraid that is all I can tell you. The rest you'll have to hear from him."

Stella gave an understanding nod. She thanked him for the tea one last time, then went to leave.

"No matter what you find out," Headmaster Randolph called, "don't give up hope. Keep pushing forward. You won't find the answers you seek if you get lost in the darkness. Trust in what your heart believes until the very end."

"... Yes, sir."

...  
...

A cool night breeze blew through Stella's dark curls. She stared up at the moon and sighed. She felt overwhelmed by all that she'd learned. Her heart began to hurt, but she wasn't sure why.

 _Yukiya... Tell me what's going on, tell me what happened... I... I just want to help..._

And then the song began.

"How odd," she thought aloud, "I can hear it so much more clearly now. It's different from when I first heard it..."

"Friend! Friend!"

A sudden voice pulled Stella from her thoughts. Looking up, she found the chubby wing rabbit materializing in the air before her. She gave him a soft smile and opened her arms. He flew in and she hugged him. After a few moment, she let go and the wing rabbit flew in the air.

"Your sweetie!" he called, "Your sweetie!"

"Huh?"

Looking around, she found Yukiya waiting beneath her balcony. When he realized she saw him, he called up to her.

"Could you come down from there?"

"Sure."

"I'll wait here."

As shocked as she was by his appearance, Stella quickly made her way down. She ran up to him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I couldn't sleep. Something was on my mind," he explained, "I had to see you."

"Oh..."

"So, why are you avoiding me?"

Stella shuffled her feet.

"Are you afraid of my curse?" he asked.

"No, of course not!"

"It's okay to be honest. I'm us-"

"I said no!"

She took a deep breath, and without thinking, her thoughts slipped off her tongue.

"I saw you with the woman at the East Forest. I met her again last night, and she said you two have known each other for a while. Who is she? Why were you meeting her so late at night? Does she know about your contract?"

His eyes seemed to grow cold.

"Who I met isn't your concern."

Stella flinched.  
If her heart were made of glass, it certainly would have shattered.  
Clenching her fists, she took a step forward.

 _Why am I so hurt?! Why won't he trust me?! I just want to help!_

"It is my concern," Stella snapped back, "because I want to help you! I love you!"

She clapped her hands over her mouth.

 _'I love you'?! Why did I say that?! I don't love him! Wait... Do I?! I-I might, but I never thought about it!_

Yet even as these words flew through her mind, a single word brought her crashing down to reality.

"Sorry."

Stella stared at his turned face, not immediately processing what he said.

"It won't work out."

She couldn't make a sound as she watched him turn around and walk away. She couldn't move even when he was out of sight.  
And then she broke down.

She covered her mouth with her hands, trying to muffle her sobs.

 _I'm so stupid! Why?! Why am I crying?! I was in the wrong, I don't have the right! I don't even know if I love him, so why?!_

"With you."

A sudden warmth nuzzled her cheek. Looking up, Stella found the wing rabbit cuddling up to her.

"No cry! Me with you!"

Stella gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm so glad you are."

"Sleep now! Forget all!"

"... Good idea."

With that, Stella snuck back into her room with a chubby wing rabbit in tow.

* * *

Yukiya curled up on his bed, his hands covering his ears. He had been out of sight, but he could still her hear sobs when he walked away.  
He'd wanted to turn around.  
He fought the urge to hug her tightly, to say it'd all be okay.

 _It's for the best. It's for her._

Yet his heart hurt with bitter regret and guilt.


	13. To Fix a Mistake

Brushing her hair from her eyes, Stella took a deep breath.

"Are you sure about this?" Amelia asked, "If it's hard for you, we can sit somewhere else. I have some friends we could sit with."

The orange-haired girl knew about Stella's confession, and offered nothing but support and comfort. Stella smiled at her.

"No, I won't just avoid him."

"But-"

"I don't even know how I feel about him. Right now, I just want to be friends with him. I want to help him, whether he likes me or not."

Despite her words, Stella couldn't bring herself to walk into the Dining Hall. Amelia patiently waited with her. As they stood outside, someone called out to them.

"Amelia! Stella!"

Turning around, they found a girl a year or two younger than them. She looked up at them with large orange eyes.

 _Ah, I think her name is Delilah Peters. She was one of the girls who ate the cornetti I made. I remember her violet hair._

She gave them an awkward smile.

"D-Do you mind- I mean, could we s-sit together?" she asked in a hopeful tone.

Amelia and Stella exchanged glances.

"Let's send a note to the boys, shall we?" the older girl suggested.

Stella gave a hesitant nod. Delilah looked so happy, the two girls couldn't help smiling.

...  
...

"So they wont hang out with you because of your sister?" Amelia said in disbelief.

"Y... Yeah..." Delilah nodded.

Stella gave her a sympathetic smile. The three were eating and talking. Stella had received a not back from Elias, saying that he understood and he'd see her later in class. Yet as she ate her peach, she felt someone's eyes on her. Even without directly looking, she knew who it was. Her heart hurt, but she pushed it down. Suddenly, a letter appeared. Looking around, she saw that the other students were receiving letters, too.

 _Oh, that's right!_

She tried to be subtle as she turned to look at the other table. The boys were all staring in surprise at the letter that appeared in front of Yukiya. Stella breathed a sigh of relief as she opened her own letter.

 _Stella! I miss you so, so, so, so much!  
I really wish you could come home. It's  
so lonely without you here. Everyone's  
been really nice to me, so don't worry.  
I just want to see you again...  
Oh, guess what! Evan wrote to you  
this time! His letter should be attached  
to mine. And Gavriil sent you something  
from one of his secret trips! He wouldn't let  
me see it, though...  
Anyway, I hope you're having fun! Don't  
forget to get me something!  
I love you!  
PS: We'll be in the capital soon!  
-The One and Only Lucy_

Stella choked back a sob. She really missed her brother. The longest she had ever been separated from her brother was fourteen days. Today made it eleven days since she'd last seen her brother. Stella bit her lip and had to look away from her brother's handwriting. She took a deep breath before moving to the next letter.

 _You're a moron, Starry Eyes.  
_

Stella snorted. After a moment she continued.

 _I don't get how you can want to  
_ _stay cooped up in one place for  
months. But you've always been  
weird. Don't freak anyone out,  
alright?  
-Evan_

Smiling, the girl carefully folded the letters and placed them in her bag. She would write back home once she got a chance, and she'd be sure to send her brother and friend something special.

...  
...

She would normally be in class by now.

Stella sighed, leaning against the wall. She wasn't quite ready to face the boy, yet. Suddenly, she felt someone's presence. Turning her head, she found Luca leaning against the wall next to her. He smirked at her.

"You look terrible," he commented, "Couldn't sleep?"

"Y-Yeah, I was up late studying and reviewing..."

"Oh, yeah? You can fool Elias with that, but not me. Something happened, didn't it? I'm not going to dig into it though..."

Stella glanced at him.

"A face like that tells me Yukiya did something pretty bad."

"No," she shook her head, "it was my fault. I need to fix it."

"I dunno," the boy shrugged, "I mean, he must have done _something_. He's gone and made a cutie like you cry!"

Stella covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile. It was hard to stay glum when he was trying to make her smile.

"Ah, there we go. You're so cute when you act shy."

She rolled her eyes as she laid the back of her head against the wall. Luca's eyes suddenly went to her hair.

"Hang on, you've got some fluff in your hair," he said reaching out.

She tilted her head so he could get it. He reached out and brushed through her hair. The girl watched as a piece of blue fuzz fluttered to the ground. Haowever, Luca kept brushing his fingers through her hair. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your hair's so pretty and soft," he mused, and took a step forward.

She looked up at him and he smiled. He quickly muttered something and pulled his hand away. He held out an ice blue flower. However, just as she reached out to take it, a hand grabbed onto Luca's hand.

"Stop, Luca," Yukiya growled, stepping in between them.

"Yukiya?" Luca tilted his head.

"Don't touch her."

Stella's heart leaped into her throat.

 _What? Why is he- He doesn't like me like that, and I don't... I don't think I feel that way about him..._

Yet a sting of pain shot through the girl's heart.

He turned and looked at her, a concerned expression on his face.

"Did he do anything to you?" he asked.

"N-No, of course not!"

A cool light shined in the boy's eyes. Stella gulped.

 _He... He looks scary... I don't think I've ever seen him like this before..._

An annoyed and bitter look skipped through the green-haired boy's eyes. It was only for a moment, but the girl saw it.

"Aren't you being a bit rude here?" Luca huffed, yanking his hand away, "I haven't done anything."

"He's right," Stella added, "he was just trying to make me feel better."

Yukiya tensed at the sound of her voice. He kept glaring at Luca.

"Oh, I see," Luca sneered, "You hurt her, but still come marching over like some knight in shining armor."

"Please stop," Stella requested, trying to maneuver around Yukiya and failing.

"What...!" the blue-haired boy growled.

"Be more rational, man. If you want to be a knight protecting his princess, you can't go and make her cry."

"What... did you say?!"

The blue-haired boy turned to look at her, but she turned away.

 _Luca, please stop. It's not his fault! I was the one who said something they didn't mean!_

"You did something that hurt her," Luca continued, "but you don't want other guys to step in and be around her. Well then, you're no knight. You're more like her guard dog."

"... Luca!"

Stella gasped as Yukiya sprung forward and grabbed Luca by the collar.

"Yukiya!" Stella cried.

"What's up, Yukiya?" Luca scoffed, "You going to hit me or what?"

The blue haired boy was seething. Stella called out again, but both boys kept ignoring her.

"Who did you call a dog?!" Yukiya roared, "Just say it again!"

Stella tried to pull them apart.

"Get back, Stella," the blue haired boy hissed.

"No! Don't do this! This isn't like you!"

As the three were going back and forth, students started crowding around them. The girl could hear them whispering and snickering. She kept calling out to him.

 _This is going to be another rumor!_

With watery eyes, Stella grabbed onto his collar. She looked him in the eyes.

"Please, don't do this."

A few minutes passed.  
Then he loosened his grip, a defeated look falling across his face.

Luca stepped back.

"Luca, are you alright?" the girl asked.

"I'm fine... but I'm a bit surprised. I didn't think Yukiya could show so much emotion."

Yukiya curled his lip and stormed off, looking as though he were restraining himself. Stella tried to call out to him, but he didn't respond.

 _That wasn't like him at all!_

"What the hell is with him?" Luca muttered, looking surprised.

"... Dunno..."

 _Luca showed up to class a few times to prevent the start of a new rumor. Yukiya must be misunderstanding. But then... Why does Yukiya seem to avoid him?_

Stella bit her lip.  
She wanted answers.

Yet something held her back.

He had looked so upset, so angry and filled with emotion. He likely wanted to be alone, and Elias seemed to be thinking the same.

"Though I would have thought you'd want to go after him," the golden-haired boy mused.

Stella sighed as she leaned against her desk.

"... Yeah..."

He cleared his throat.

"Well, you have your Judgement Day coming up. You should be focusing on grades, anyway."

She nodded.

"But... I'm worried about him."

"... I am, too, but I think he just needs some time."

She looked down at the ground. After shuffling his feet for a moment, the boy spoke up.

"Did... something happen between you two? You're acting strange."

"... I made a mistake. Don't worry, though! I'll fix it!"

Stella smiled up at him. He gave her a strange look.

"You don't need to fake a smile. Just do what you need to do."

The girl's eyes widened, but before she could say anything in response, the bell rang. Elias gave her shoulder an awkward pat before going to sit down. Stella chuckled as she sat down.

 _I can't sulk all day!_

Professor Merulova walked into the classroom and smiled warmly at the class.

"Shall we begin the lesson?"

Stella pulled out her pen and notebook.

"Today, we will learn about Astrology. We've already learned about Astronomy, which is closely related to today's subject. Now, with Astronomy, one would first think of the horoscope with zodiac signs. Your zodiac sign is determined by the position of the sun on your birthday. It can give you a glimpse of your personality, affinity, and fate! Now, a question. The ninth zodiac is a centaur, half horse, half man. What constellation is it?"

Stella thought for a minute before raising her hand. The professor gestured for her to answer.

"Sagittarius!"

"Exactly," he smiled, "Very well done. I see you've been studying. Please, keep it up!"

"Please remember this," the professor continued, "Not everyone can use prediction to see the future. It is actually a very rare gift to have this ability. Furthermore, what each wizard is able to see varies greatly by person. The wizards with magical abilities of Prediction and Reading are called Prophets and Readers. The very talented ones are employed by the royal palace. Their power and foresight is such that it can change the balance of the whole kingdom. However, just because someone is very talented at magic, there s no guarantee that they can use Prediction. It is entirely based on natural aptitude. But there is one magical technique called Reading that every wizard can perform. And that would be reading the stars."

Stella hid a smirk.  
She had been told this before.

"First of all, star reading is not magic. It is actually the knowledge that is related to magic, and all wizards should know and study about it. This might be a bit difficult for some of you to understand. Think of it like this: Knowledge is the Foundation of Magic. Every wizard must have extensive knowledge about a vast understanding of a variety of subjects. Otherwise, those without knowledge may be swayed by magic."

 _Yes. I suppose they can._

"For example, great wizards can forecast tomorrow's weather just by looking at stars in the sky. This is just one fragment of knowledge that great wizards must possess. Knowing how to read the stars means you've already been able to use magic."

 _So using magic isn't only about using your magical ability or casting spells..._

"By knowing how to read the stars, you can predict the weather... The future. Now, does that not sound like magic to someone who doesn't know how to read the stars?"

Stella was furiously scribbling down her notes.

"In short, the knowledge itself is the gateway to the world of magic. Using magic isn't only about using spells to do battle or summoning objects from thin air. By gaining knowledge, you can stand at the first page of the world of magic. Knowledge is just as important. However, if all of our classes at the academy were like this, it would be no fun at all! I'm sure you all find Practical Magic much more exciting, but you see, the more you learn, the more fun learning becomes."

 _I think I'll send Lucy a copy of these notes. I think he'd be really interested in them._

...  
...

Stella was checking her bag as she sat on the railing at the top of the flight of stairs. Most people would be too scared to do so, but the girl was confident both in her balance and her ability to catch herself.

"Stella."

A voice from her right caught her attention. Lifting her head, she saw Yukiya. Though she had recognized his voice, she was still surprised to see him.

"Headed home?" he asked.

"Um... Yeah."

She was caught completely off guard.

"Why won't you look at me?"

She still had a hard time looking directly at him.

"If you plan to avoid me, so be it."

Stella's eyes widened.

 _He sounds so... cold? Faraway? It... Whatever it is, it hurts..._

"Yuki-"

"Promise me you won't go near Luca."

Stella drew back.

"Why? He's my classmate and friend."

"I can't say anything. Just stay away from him."

Stella held her tongue. There were things she wanted to discuss, but there were other students around them. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into an empty classroom. After closing the door, she whirled around and faced him. She looked into his eyes. They seemed distant.

"Yukiya Reizen! I told you before that I will make my own decisions. Unless you can give me a good reason to avoid him, you're just going to have to deal with he and I being friends. He teases me sometimes, but he's a good guy! He's laid back and easy to talk to. He's given me no reason to mistrust him or even dislike him!"

Suddenly, Yukiya stepped forward. Stella's back hit the closed door. He stuck his hand against the door. He was close enough for her to feel his breath on her lips.  
She gulped.

"You don't know anything," he quietly stated.

She glared back up at him.

"Then explain! You're not being fair!"

She balled up her fists and bit her lip.

"I won't. You don't need to know."

"What was it you said?" she growled, "I believe it was, 'Who I talk to isn't your concern'. You speak to who you want. I'll speak to who I want."

"Stella..."

He looked almost hurt as he mumbled her name. A pang of guilt struck the girl. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered.

"No," he shook his head, "it's my fault."

She raised her hand.

"I don't just mean what I said just now. I'm sorry about... last night, too."

He opened his mouth to speak. The girl beat him to it.

"Forget it. Forget what I said. I didn't stop to think about my words. I don't even know... I don't know how I feel about you. I've known you for, what, nine days? I... need to give it some thought, but you don't. Forget what I said."

She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes.  
She gave him the best smile she could.

"I still want to be friends. I don't want my words to ruin it."

"Stella..."

She squealed as the boy's head sank down onto her shoulder. The bridge of his nose rested on the skin between her neck and shoulder. His breath was lightly hitting he spot just above her heart.  
The heart that was currently beating furiously. Her face turned bright red. She gulped as she looked down.

 _His face... His face is really pale!_

She thought back to when he'd put his arm against the door.

 _His face was pale then, too, now that I think about it. Was he just trying to hold himself up?_

She felt sweat forming on his forehead. His breathing seemed shallow.

"... What's wrong, Yukiya?"

* * *

 _A woman sat down on a chair. She held her head in her hands._

 _"Mammina?" a girl called stepping out onto the porch, "Are you alright?"_

 _The woman ran her hands through her thick black hair before looking up._

 _"Yes, Little Star. I'm just not feeling well."_

 _The woman's face was pale. The little girl stepped forward._

 _"But-"_

 _The sudden sound of a baby crying interrupted the girl. The woman went to stand up._

 _"No, I got it Mammina!" the girl called, turning to go inside, "Take a nap!"_

 _The woman smiled as she watched the little girl run back inside._

* * *

"... Nothing," Yukiya mumbled.

"Don't you _dare_ lie to me."

She could feel him wobbling. Wrapping an arm around his waist and throwing his arm over her shoulder. She helped out the door. After a few minutes, he seemed to have recovered some of his strength. He moved away from her.

"Stay away from... Luca... I know it sounds... unreasonable," the boy said through grunts of pain, "but I don't... want you involved... in any danger... Do _not_ let him know you can hear the song..."

She tried to reach out and stop him, but he was already making his way down the steps. He ignored her calls.

 _Danger? Luca? What do you mean, Yukiya? Why won't you explain?_

...  
...

After finishing her nightly studying, Stella leaned back in her chair. It was nice of Elias to make her a study schedule, but she wasn't used to reading and taking notes. Her childhood had simply never required it. She looked at her handwriting in shame.

 _It looks like a child wrote this..._

Stella rested her head on her hands thinking over the day's events.

 _What is Yukiya trying to protect me from? What happened between him and Luca? Why shouldn't Luca know that I can hear the song?_

"It's the tenth day. I have three days..." she murmured, "I hope I'm ready..."

Shaking her head, she stood up. A sudden tapping at the window caught her attention. Upon opening it, she found the fat wing rabbit.

"Friend!"

She smiled.

"Hello. Come to spend the night?"

"Yes! Yes! Warm! Soft!"

Rolling her eyes, Stella opened her arms and hugged the magical creature. She shut the balcony door behind herself and locked it. She laid down in her bed with the wing rabbit nuzzling up to her.

"Things... Things are going to get crazy around here. I can sense it," the girl told him, "I'm worried and... a bit scared..."

"Not alone! Friends!"

She smiled and rubbed his ears.

"Yes, I'm not alone..."

She rolled onto her side and watched the moon rise higher and higher into the sky.

 _Yeah, I have friends. I'm not alone._


	14. The Detention Chamber

Stella was walking to class, when a sudden voice called out her name. Turning, she found Delilah running up. She stopped and waited for her to catch up.

"Hey there, Delilah," Stella greeted her with a smile.

"H-Hello!" the younger girl replied, rushing up to her side, "How are you?"

"I'm okay, I guess. You?"

"I'm fine. I, um, wanted to ask if you heard the news."

Stella tilted her head.

"We have a new professor," she explained, "Supposedly he's young and handsome. I haven't seen him yet, but I've heard it going around."

"Well, that'll be nice. It's always fun to have an attractive teacher. Do you know when he starts?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure," she frowned, "but there is someone who should. Luca!"

Stella chuckled.

"Alright. I'll ask him when I see him."

They continued chatting as they made their way down the halls. A sudden flicker of movement made the older girl freeze in place. She hadn't seen him since he'd left yesterday. She silently observed him, sensing something was amiss. His steps were shaky and his legs looked unsteady, not to mention how pale he looked. For a moment, he looked like he would collapse. Without giving it much thought, Stella ran over to his side.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "Are you alright?"

"... I'm fine."

He straightened his posture. The girl's eyebrow twitched.

"No you're not!"

She reached out to him, only for the boy to shake her off. His body swayed heavily to the side. She cried out as she reached forward to catch him. She didn't realize when, but Delilah had followed her over. With her help, Stella was able to keep Yukiya from hitting the ground. They pulled him away from the stairs and set him down. After sitting down, Stella placed his head on her leg.

"S-Should I go get a nurse?" the younger girl asked, looking nervous.

"Yeah. Hurry!"

With that, the violet-haired girl ran off. The boy let out a groan and the girl flinched.

"Y-Yukiya? A-Are you alright?"

* * *

 _A woman with black hair was laying down on a bed. A veil was hanging from the ceiling, blurring her features. The air was heavy with the scent of sickness and something the little girl couldn't place. Her father wouldn't tell her what it was._

 _"Little Star," the woman croaked from the bed, "where is the Little Star?"_

 _"I'm right here, Mammina!" the little girl cried stepping forward._

 _Her father stopped her from walking any closer._

 _"Where is the Sun? My Little Sun?"_

 _"Right here," the boy choked out, stepping forward to stand next to the girl._

 _"No," the woman groaned, "you are not. The sun and star don't speak. They give light... light... Where is my Light?"_

 _"He... He's asleep in the other room," the man replied._

 _"Bello? Is that you?" the woman called, "No, you aren't supposed to be back yet."_

 _The woman broke off into inaudible ramblings. The man soon pushed the two children out. For a few moments, they stared at the ground. Then, the girl looked at the boy._

 _"It's all going to be okay, right?" she asked._

 _"... Yeah." He nodded back._

 _As they walked away, they could hear the woman shouting and the man's attempts to calm her._

* * *

"H-Hey, what happened?" Stella asked him, wiping the sweat from his face with a handkerchief.

"Stella? What happened?" a surprised voice called out.

Looking up, she found Elias standing over her, looking shocked.

"H-He just collapsed!" she replied, her hands beginning to shake, "H-He's not responding!"

A look of panic flashed through Elias' eyes. He knelt down and placed his hand on his roommate's pulse.

"His pulse is too fast," he muttered, then looked up to the boy's face, "Yukiya! Can you hear me?"

The blue-haired boy let put a groan. Stella gulped.

"Do you know what's happening?" she asked.

"I might have an idea."

Just then, the school bell rang.

"... I'll carry him back to the dorm. Tell the professor that I'm taking him back and I'll miss the first class."

Just as Elias reached out for the boy, Stella grabbed his hand.

"Delilah's getting the nurse. She'll be back any moment."

He looked like he was about to argue, but faltered at the look in her eyes.

"Stella, are you ok-"

"We're here!" Delilah cried, panting.

The nurse was right behind her. She looked sad, but unsurprised when she saw Yukiya's state. She knelt down with a sigh.

"It was getting to be around the time," she muttered under her breath.

She checked his breathing, his pulse, then stood back up. With a wave of her wand and a short incantation, she made the boy levitate off the ground. Delilah helped Stella to her feet.

"W-Will he be okay?" she asked.

"Yes... He just needs some time. Elias, when you get to your dorm later, be sure to tell the dorm-mother where Yukiya is."

"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a solemn nod.

The nurse looked at the two girls.

"You all need to get to class. I have it from here."

"But-!" Stella began, stepping forward.

Elias laid his hand on her shoulder and quietly urged her to follow. After a few moments, she nodded and turned to follow.

"Don't worry," Delilah soothed her, "Nurse Faith knows what she's doing. Oh, and I won't tell anyone that Yukiya collapsed."

"... Thanks. For getting the nurse, too. I'll see you later..."

Stella waved goodbye before catching up with her classmate. The walk to their classroom was silent, as they were both drifting into their own thoughts. Elias knocked quietly on the door before entering. They bowed their heads to the headmaster, for which Elias quietly explained that he too taught classes, and they took their seats. Elias explained that Yukiya had felt unwell and Stella had stayed with him until he arrived with the nurse. The headmaster gave an understanding nod.

"Well, I hope he feels better soon," he said, then sighed before continuing, "Now, where was I? Ah! Chimeras. Chimeras are becoming rarer and rarer with each passing day. However, it is believed that there are some still alive in certain parts of Gedonelune. You should hope you don't run into one of them, as they are incredibly aggressive, especially towards humans. It should be mentioned that there are records of very powerful mages who could tame and even control chimeras. If one is able to tame one, it could prove to be a formidable ally. As for all of you, it is best if you familiarize yourself with the common magical creatures first."

 _Oh... I think I really do want to be a tamer._

The bell rang for the first class to end. As Stella was packing up her stuff, Elias walked over.

"Stella," he began, "I know how worried you must be for Yukiya, after seeing how much pain he was in, but... this isn't an unusual event. He gets like this every time the moon is full."

Stella tilted her head. Elias sighed and rested his hand on his chin.

"I think it has something to do with his curse," he continued, "but he..."

He let his words drift off. A lump formed in Stella's throat and she stepped forward. She rester her hands on his shoulders and spoke quietly.

"I am his friend, like you. I... I'm so worried about him. My family suffered because of a curse. It was so painful, and it was worse because I didn't undersstand what was going on. I just want to know... Please..."

Elias looked down, as though he were trying to make a decision. After what felt like hours, he lifted his head and looked her in the eyes.

"When it gets close to the full moon, he's confined in a detention chamber."

"W-What?!" she cried, "Aren't those like jail cells?!"

"Yeah," he solemnly nodded, "the detention chamber is for people who cause serious troubles to be punished. But every full moon, Yukiya gets put in there even though he doesn't do anything wrong!"

Elias' voice had began to rise with those last few words. He coughed and evened out his tone before continuing.

"But why..." Stella asked.

"I don't know much about it, but I'd guess it has something to do with his curse. He was feeling sick, ever since he first woke up. It's a day before the full moon... I told him not to go... but he said he was worried about you..."

 _What? Why?_

A lump formed in the girl's throat.

"He said he was going to go to class no matter what," Elias continued, "Do you have any idea why he was so worried about you?"

"... We argued a bit, but I thought we'd resolved everything..."

 _Is this... my fault?_

Elias seemed to read something on her face, because he spoke up.

"No, it's probably something else. Don't blame yourself."

"... Isn't there something I can do?"

Even before he said it, Stella knew it'd be near impossible to help Yukiya with him being in the detention chamber. Yet despite that, she wasn't about to give up. Even if she could ease his suffering just a bit, she would feel better. She asked Elias to lead her to the boy.

"It's impossible."

Stella let her eyes grow cold as she stared at him. It was easy to maintain eye contact when they were the same height.

"We won't know unless we try," she stated, "if there is someone who needs help, I will always help."

Elias' eyes widened for a moment before he sighed.

"You're really something else," he muttered under his breath, then spoke up, "Professor Merkulova has the keys that get you in there. That's all I'm going to tell you. The rest is up to you."

The girl immediately brightened. She laid her hands on the boy's shoulders and smiled.

"Thanks, Elias!"

She gave him a quick hug (which turned the boy into a spluttering mess) then ran off. She passed through a few halls, getting lost for bit, and finally found the professor's office. She took a few deep breaths and thought about what she would say, then knocked on the door.

"Yes?" came a muffled voice.

"It's Stella. May I come in?"

"Carlevaro?" The man confirmed, "Sure. The door is open."

"Thanks."

When she stepped inside, the girl found the professor busy looking through some papers.

"Excuse me."

"Please, sit down." He gestured to the seat across from him with a warm smile.

She did as he asked, and he set down his work to focus on her.

"What brings you here? Do you have a question?"

"Um... it's not quite a question," Stella began, "but... I came here to talk about Yukiya. I heard he's in the detention chamber."

Professor Merkulova stiffened. Stella gulped before bowing her head.

"Please let me go take care of him. I ne- want to make sure he's o-okay."

"Carlevaro. I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."

"But-!"

"It's for your sake as well."

* * *

 _"You can't come with us. It's for your sake as well."_

* * *

Stella glared at him.

"What does that mean?" she questioned, barely keeping a hiss out of her tone.

"What you ask is impossible. I cannot help you. Please leave now. Yukiya will be safe."

"No!" Stella cried, "He needs m-!"

"Carlevaro!" The professor shouted in a frightening voice.

Stella flinched. He was normally so gentle, it was a shock to hear him sound so different.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "but please give up. There is nothing you can do."

His words sent a shiver down her spine. She'd heard that phrase far more times than she'd like to admit. She could usually prove them wrong. She would this time, too.

"Please, go now." Professor Merkulova stood up.

Seeing it was useless to keep pushing, she stood up as well.

"... I understand."

She walked through the door he'd opened for her. She made her way down the hall, trying to think of another solution.

"Stella."

The girl lifted her head and found Elias standing before her.

"How was it?" he asked.

"It didn't work," she grumbled, "he was acting strangely, too."

"How so? Never mind, at least you tried."

"I need to do something!" she cried, "Yukiya's suffering all alone down there. Surely there's some way to help him!"

Elias crossed his arms and thought for a while. Then, he looked her in the eyes.

"I'll take you there."

What?" Stella stared at him in shock.

"I know where it is. We won't be able to open the gate though, so if you're fine talking to him behind bars..."

"That's fine!" She nodded.

"But there's one small problem," Elias continued, looking worried, "it's protected by traps, so only certain people can enter. It'll be dangerous. Are you still up for it?"

She nodded again.

"But will you be alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. Yukiya's my roommate and friend. I'm willing to take this risk, too."

"Thanks."

 _Yukiya, you aren't alone. Why can't you rely on us?_

...  
...

The pair walked down a long, eerie hall. It was only illuminated by torches. Stella close to her guide. He warned her numerous times to watch her step. A sudden clisk made them both freeze.

"W-What was that?" Stella whispered.

"I think I stepped on something," Elias replied.

 _Huh?_

Suddenly, the ceiling cracked open and water gushed down on them from above. With a squeal, Stella gracefully leaped to a safer spot. Elias, on the other hand, was soaked head to toe. As water dripped from his hair, she tried not to laugh.

"You just laughed, didn't you?" he grumbled.

"N-No!"

 _But I'm about to!_

"What kind of stupid trap was that, anyway!" the boy hissed, "There'll be more like it, so we need to be careful."

Stella held back a snicker as she walked alongside the now sopping wet boy. They made some distance, and the atmosphere was less eerie with Elias muttering about his soaked clothes. Suddenly, he stuck out his hand to stop her from moving forward.

"Hey, don't step on that tile. It's colored differently," he warned.

"Suspicious," Stella agreed.

After exchanging nods, they stepped forward. However, when she placed her foot down on the tile _next_ to the odd-looking one, a loud click echoed through the hall.

"What?!" Stella cried.

"Oh, come on!" Elias yelled, "That's not fair!"

A nearby wall started to slide away, revealing slender arrowheads pointed in their direction. They didn't have enough time to get out of the way. Stella squealed and twisted her body in an attempt to dodge the arrows. They hit the wall with loud thwacks.

Stella ended up with one leg in the air, her back arched backwards at a right angle, and her arms holding her body up.

"E-Elias?" she called.

"I-I'm alright," he replied, "and you?"

"Just my jacket sleeve."

With that, Stella twisted out of her jacket. She stood up straight and went to inspect Elias' situation. Unlike her, the arrows had pierced his pants, shirt, and cloak, forcing him to have his arms and legs stretched out. He had no room to move.

"Ohhhh!" he howled, "Why me?!"

"Here, I'll get you loose," Stella offered, stepping forward.

"You can't," Elias groaned, "It's a spell, and it won't wear off for a while. Just go on without me."

"But..."

"Just go," he pushed, "I look stupid right now. I'd rather you not be here to see me."

 _I can understand that._

"Okay, I'll go on ahead." She nodded, then stepped forward, "I'll pay you back for this later."

"Okay... Ugh, I look ridiculous..."

The girl gave him a light pat on the cheek before continuing on into the dark recesses of the detention chamber. Soon enough, she reached another area. It had many barred rooms that really did resemble jail cells. Stella began calling Yukiya's name, but was only met with silence.

 _I hate this place, it's like a prison... I never thought I'd be near one of those again..._

Her heart ached for what Yukiya must have been feeling as she checked each cell. When she reached one of the ones near the back, she found him.

"Yukiya!" she cried, clutching the bars.

He was in a pitiful state. There were no windows in his cell, and the boy was curled up into a ball on the bed. She wanted to run to him, but the bars were locked and blocked her path.

"Yukiya!" she cried, "I'm here! Come on, show me you can still here me!"

The boy didn't respond. He was covered in sweat and his breathing was shallow. He was in a terrible state.

 _I've got to do something!_

"Me help!"

A sudden,familiar voice caught her completely off-guard. Stella jumped and looked up. She found the fat wing rabbit flying in the air beside her.

"Special Power!" he shouted.

With that, his body elongated and stretched thin as a wire. With his new form, the wing rabbit slid into the key hole and twisted around. The door opened with a click.

 _Well, that was... pretty freaky to see..._

"Thanks." She gave him a nod, "I'll give you a treat later, alright?"

He changed back into his original form and began purring with excitement. Stella ran into the cell to check on Yukiya. She placed her hand on his forehead, only to pull it back from his burning hot skin.

"Oh, Yukiya," she whispered, "you have such an awful fever!"

He was panting and let out a quiet moan of pain.

 _I can't even use medical spells!_

She closed her eyes and tried to think of some way to help. She thought back to her Magical Pharmaceuticals class.

"Ah! Some type of weed! Oh, what was it?!"

"Morning! Dew!" the wing rabbit piped up.

"Ah! Morning Dew Grass!" she cried, "Thank you! Now, doesn't it grow in... the East Forest?"

As she said that, Yukiya opened his eyes with a groan. He weakly tried to grab her hand.

"Yukiya, I'll be right back," she told him, pulling her hand away, "Wing Rabbit, will you stay here with him?"

"Fine! Be! Careful!"

With that, Stella ran out. Time must have passed faster than she thought, because Elias was already long gone. She ran outside, down the path, and to the forest, all the while being careful to avoid both the teachers and her peers.  
The sun was nearly set by the time she got the entrance of the East Forest. Stella desperately set to looking for the magical weed, but could find no trace. Panic began to rise in her chest as the sun began to sink.

 _I don't have choice here, do I?_

Taking a deep breath, Stella ran into the forbidden dark forest.

"Where is it? Where is it?!" she cried.

She dropped to her knees to look at a cluster of plants. The moon had now risen, and the forest grew even darker and more ominous. She ignored the sense of foreboding that was trying to consume her.

 _"Sprikuenall kohdu…  
Sriitanmera muruto…"_

Stella lifted her head.

 _The song! It sounds so clear and loud! Is the source near here?!_

Shaking her head, she reminded herself of why she was there.

"Wait... Which way did I come in?" she wondered aloud.

Lifting her head, she found only towering trees. Her surroundings gave no indication of where she'd entered from.

"I-I... Oh, what do I do?" she wailed, then took a deep breath, "No, I can't panic. I should at least find the Morning Dew Grass."

Fighting the uneasiness growing in her heart, Stella kept searching.

"Don't you know how dangerous this place is, girl?" a voice giggled.

Stella froze and lifted her head. A girl around her age was sitting on her knees in front of her. Stella gulped and drew back. Even with the little light she had from the moon, she could see something was off with this newcomer. Her lips and the irises of her eyes were black, and her dark grey hair was as long as she was. She was wearing what looked like an old, worn shirt, but it was long enough for her to wear it like a dress.

"Hey, did you hear me?" the girl repeated, "I asked if you knew how dangerous it is here."

"I-I do," Stella answered, crawling back.

The girl crawled forward. They were eye level with each other.

"Then why are you here?" the girl asked.

"M-M-Morning Dew W-Weed," Stella answered.

The girl sat back on her haunches and stared at her.

"Why?"

"M-My friend, he's... he's really sick."

The girl tilted her head.

"You won't find any here," she stated after a few moments, "You'll have to go farther into the forest, and even then, it's rare. You'll probably be killed by a beast before then."

Stella gasped and scrambled to her feet. The girl had said something so dark like it was nothing.

 _The air around her is... wrong. Is she... Is she even human?_

The girl stared up at her and smiled, revealing white teeth. Stella couldn't tell if it was just her fear or not, but she thought some of those teeth were pointed.

"Looks like a beast just found you," the girl sighed, "better start running."

With that, the girl's body began to sink. Stella stared in terror as the girl melded with her shadow on the ground and vanished.  
She didn't have enough time to think about what she'd just witnessed before a menacing growl echoed from behind her. A shiver went down her spine as she turned her head ever so slightly. A pair of golden eyes were glaring at her from between the trees. Stella's horror grew as the creature slowly crept forward. A skinny, dog-like beast stepped forward. It had patches of black fur, but no lips covered its large, jagged teeth. As its black tongue licked its teeth, more of his pack crept out.

 _W-What are those?!_

She wasn't sure when, but at some point, Stella had turned to face them. The beast closest to her began growling. Her legs were violently shaking, but she turned and ran. With everything she had, the girl fled. The creatures let out something between a growl and screech, and gave chase. Stella screamed for help as tried to keep ahead of snapping jaws. Tears fell from her eyes. Suddenly, she heard one of the creatures leap. She felt hot saliva hit her back and something brushed the hairs on the back of her neck. She had no time scream.

And then there was a flash of light.

She heard the beast hit the ground with a thud. Stella tried to keep running, but was caught in a force field of wind. She turned around and found that the creatures were being held back. Stella watched as lightning flashed across the ground at the beasts, scorching the earth. The creatures, terrified, shrieked and ran off into the shadows.

Stella sank to her knees and began sobbing. She wasn't aware of the barrier spell being released, nor did she notice the mage stepping forward. She just cried and covered her face.

"Stella!" A woman's voice called, "Stella, are you alright?"

The girl just sat there, shivering as tears poured from her eyes.  
The woman stepped forward and knelt down. Resting her hands on the girls shoulders, the woman gently shook her.

"You need to get up. It's dangerous here."

The girl finally lifted her head and found the red-haired woman looking at her with concern. She was too scared to speak as she kept crying. The woman gave her a sympathetic look before waving her wand. Stella's heart rate slowed down and she found she could stop shivering and crying. She shakily stood up and spoke.

"T-Thank y-you," she whispered, hugging herself.

"I'm glad I got here in time," the woman replied, then tilted her head, "but what is a girl like you doing in the East Forest at this hour?"

"I... I got lost."

 _That's true at least._

Stella found it hard to look at the woman. She hated it, but she felt ashamed to have shown the woman weakness.

"You're lost?" The woman repeated, "Were you looking for something, perhaps?"

It was then that the girl saw what the beautiful woman was holding. Her eyes widened. Ice-blue flowers, blue-tinted leaves, and morning-dew shaped buds.  
The Morning Dew Grass.

"For Yukiya's fever, I take it?" The woman questioned, "Yukiya is suffering from his curse right now. His sacrifice was too great... it is as painful as a curse could ever be."

Stella stared at the ground. She was frustrated that she knew nothing about Yukiya's _contract_.

 _Maybe he doesn't trust me..._

"This would work wonders if it was brewed and fed to him," the woman mused. "It will bring down his fever. You must do this... I cannot."

She took Stella's hand, opened her palm, and placed the magical herb in her hand. She stared at the woman in shock.

"Why not?! You should be at his now more than ever! Yukiya wants you to be with him, not me!"

Deep down, Stella cringed at her own words. However, if this woman really was with Yukiya, it should be her taking care of him, not Stella.

 _She... She's the one who loves him. Yukiya is just... just my friend..._

"You are not Yukiya. How is it you know what he wants? I suppose you really don't know Yukiya."

"I-!"

"I told you once already. I cannot go to his side and stay with him. Go now."

The woman drew her wand and gave it a flick.

" **Teleport.** "

Light flowed out from her wand and enveloped the girl. With a burst of blinding light, she was teleported to the academy's auditorium. A wave of nausea hit her as her head spun.

 _Never teleporting again..._

Stella leaned against a pillar until she could regain her composure.

 _If she can use that kind of magic, she must be really powerful..._

Stella took a deep breath and looked at the Morning Dew in her hand.

"I've got to hurry," she told herself.

...  
...

Stella crept into the detention chamber with the vial of medicine.

"Sweetie! Really sick!" the wing rabbit shouted.

He was right. Stella's hands began shaking as she saw how much worse Yukiya's condition had become.

"H-Hey, Yukiya!" she called, "I've got some medicine for you!"

She sat him up and tried to give him the medicine, but he couldn't swallow. Tears welled in Stella's eyes.

"C-Come on, Yukiya!" she begged, "I went through a lot to get you this! All you have to do is drink it!"

He let out a groan. Stella knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. She was just afraid. Everyone said he would be fine, but they'd said the same about her mother. She was terrified about what would happen if...  
No.  
He _would_ fine. She'd make sure of it.

"I'm so sorry about this, Yukiya," she whispered, stroking his cheek, "I'll explain this to you when you're better. If you want, I'll stay away from you. I just... I want you to be okay..."

Taking a deep breath, Stella poured the medicine into her mouth. Silently apologizing one last time, she pressed her lips against Yukiya's. She pushed the medicine passed his lips. She felt him twitch beneath her and heard his hand moving. She felt him take hold of her upper arm. Expecting him to try to push her away, she was shocked when he tightened his grip and pulled.

 _Don't do this to me..._

Fighting the urge to go along with what he was doing, Stella pulled her lips away. She pet his hair for a bit, watching as his breathing evened out. Her own heart was beating quickly, almost as fast as earlier. But she had a job to do.

"Now, to wipe off the sweat," she quietly stated.

Gripping a towel in one hand, she unbuttoned his shirt.

 _There's nothing odd about this. Evan walks around without a shirt all the time! This is nothing!_

His shirt opened up, revealing a body, much more muscular than the girl had been expecting. Her face turning red, Stella let out a nervous chuckle.

"I have a job to do!" she reminded herself, "Don't make this weird!"

She took a deep breath and patted him with the towel.

"Stella..." he groaned.

Delirious with fever, Yukiya suddenly grabbed her and pulled her close. Caught completely off-guard, Stella fell on top of him. She could feel the heat radiating off his body. Her heart began pounding and she froze. He rubbed his cheek against her head.

"Y-Yukiya?" she called.

"Stella..." he groaned, "I-I didn't... I didn't.. want you... to know..."

"Yukiya?"

"Ugh!" He flinched.

"What's wrong? Are you having a nightmare, Yukiya?" she asked.

 _You didn't want me to know what? And why are you calling out to me?_

He loosened his grip and Stella slipped out of his arms. She stared at him for a few moments. Then, she laid down next to him, leaning her back on the bed's headboard. She pulled his head and rested it on her chest. She brushed her fingers through his hair.

"Lullaby, and good night, in the skies stars are bright.

May the moon's silvery beams bring you sweet dreams.  
Close your eyes now and rest, may these hours be blessed.  
'Til the sky's bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn."

She softly sang a lullaby.

"Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I'm right beside you.

Guardian angels are near, so sleep without fear.  
Lullaby, and good night, with roses bedight.  
Lilies o'er head, lay thee down in thy bed."

It was the same song her mother would sing whenever one of her children were sick or couldn't sleep.

"Lullaby, and sleep tight, my darling sleeping.

On sheets white as cream, with a head full of dreams.  
Sleepyhead, close your eyes, I'm right beside you.  
Lay thee down now and rest, may your slumber be blessed."

Now it was the song Stella sang to her younger brother.

"Go to sleep, little one, think of puppies and kittens.

Go to sleep, little one, think of butterflies in spring.  
Go to sleep, little one, think of sunny bright mornings.  
Hush, darling one, sleep through the night,  
Sleep through the night,  
Sleep through the night."

She felt him relaxing against her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wondered when he'd last been held. His fever had dropped and he was sleeping soundly.

"I only..." she whispered, "I only wanted to make sure Yukiya was alright. He's my dear friend. That's all it is, isn't it?"

* * *

 _"Don't leave me..."_

 _Yukiya begged, but the light had already faded. Yukiya sat in the darkness, hugging himself, trying not to let the darkness consume him.  
But the shadows bit and clawed at him._

 _"Come back!" he cried._

 _The shadows pulled and laughed at his pain and misery. Yukiya would have cried, had his tears not dried up so long ago. He couldn't believe he hadn't gone mad from this torture years ago._

 _And then a spark._

 _The spark grew and a muffled voice echoed from it._

 _The darkness froze, and Yukiya ran towards it. The voice grew clearer the closer he got, though he still couldn't make out what she was saying. But that didn't matter. He closed his eyes and basked in the warmth. The shadows still clawed at him, but he focused on that light._

 _Then, he felt something touch his lips. Something soft, something shaking.  
Something he wanted more of._

 _He reached out and found soft skin. He pulled her closer, wanting to keep that warmth between them.  
But she pulled away._

 _As soon as she did, the darkness came at him with a vengeance._

 _"No!"_

 _The light was right there! The darkness was weakening, but it would go down without a fight. Yukiya reached out and hugged the source. He tried to explain, but somehow, he felt slow, sluggish._

 _He held on until his world was light and free. He felt her move away, and suddenly he felt cold. He whined, and called for her to come back.  
And she did._

 _This time, the light held him, and she sang a soft, calming song._

 _Yukiya sighed and shut his eyes, holding his light in return._

* * *

 **Brahms Lullaby  
** By Jewel

* * *

 **I'm really sorry I haven't updated recently. I'm away from home, and the connection isn't great. So, I hope this extra-long chapter is a good enough apology!**

 **I'm also working on yet _another_ story, but I won't publish it until I finish it. This and my other Wizardess story are my focus right now, though. I _will_ finish these. This story will likely be completed before the other one, though.**


	15. Each Their Burdens

Stella opened her eyes with a groan. She looked around the unfamiliar room, trying to remember where she was.

"Ah, I must have fallen asleep," she mused.

She went to get up, only to be held back. Looking down, she found Yukiya still holding on to her. He was sleeping peacefully. Though she was embarrassed, she was relieved to see his condition had improved.

"School! Late!" The wing rabbit cried, "Morning! Already!"

"You mean I spent the night here?! Oh, I'll be in all sorts of trouble!" Stella stood up and straightened out her clothes. "Yukiya, I'll be back as soon as classes are over!"

With that, Stella ran out. She slowed down as she walked down the hall.

 _I look awful, but at least I should get to class on time._

She began trying to untangle her hair with her hands as she walked. She was so occupied with her hair, she nearly ran into Elias.

"Oops, sorry!" she apologized.

"It's no trouble," he assured her, "did you stay with Yukiya all night? You look tired..."

"Yeah. I slept for a bit on accident, though."

"Are you okay?"

"I think so."

"And Yukiya?"

"His fever came down. He seems fine for the moment. I'm heading back there after class."

Stella lightly coughed and looked away, hiding her blush.

 _No, that wasn't a romantic kiss! It was the only way I could get him to take his medicine!_

"That's a relief," Elias sighed, then opened his bag, "and here, before I forget. You forgot it yesterday. I fixed the tears with magic."

He handed Stella her uniform jacket. That was the first time she realized she didn't have. She chuckled and thanked him as she took it from him.

"I would have given it back to you yesterday, but," Elias lightly coughed, "I, uh, I didn't want to interrupt..."

"W-What?!"

He raised an eyebrow at her shocked expression.

"What? Did you think I was clueless? I'm not that insensitive, you know."

"Actually, you're wrong," Stella awkwardly laughed, "he turned me down. It's fine though. I've known him for less than two weeks. This is just a crush. I'll be over it soon."

Elias' eyes widened and he grew flustered.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't reali-"

"Like I said, it's fine. It doesn't even bother me now!"

That was a lie, but Stella didn't want to make her friend any more uncomfortable than he already was. She smiled at him, but he was still unsure.

"Well," he began, trying to change the subject, "tonight's the full moon, you know? It's not over yet."

"Yeah, it might be worse tonight." Stella nodded.

"I'm worried about him," Elias quietly admitted, "he's... He's the first friend I made since coming to the academy."

They stood in silence for a bit. Then, Stella spoke up.

"It's not a curse."

"What?" Elias furrowed his brow.

"Yukiya's made some sort of contract, and he's sacrificed something for it. I don't know the details, but... I guess this is somehow related to the price."

"A contract..." Elias repeated.

"Magic. He wasn't born a wizard, so he gave up something dear to him."

Elias let out a sad sigh.

"If it's a contract, then I don't think there's anything we can do. If there were, I'd like to try it."

 _Elias... You really care about him, don't you?_

"I... relate to him," Elias admitted.

"How so?" Stella tilted her head.

"He's got his 'curse', and I have the 'Goldstein' name. We're both bound to our burdens in a sense. Though, it may seem unfair for me to compare his suffering to mine. But recently, I've changed the way I thought about the situation. Instead of trying to run away from it, it's easier to learn how to live with it."

"So, does it mean... you just accept an undesirable destiny?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Elias nodded. "You know, if that's what makes us who we are... I can even appreciate it."

Stella closed her eyes and thought.

"I see..." Stella nodded.

She knew she wasn't the best wizardess around, but that was part of who she was. It's both a person's strengths _and_ flaws that makes a person who they are. Elias' words didn't just help her feel more comfortable with her skills, they also gave her a better understanding of what her friends from home had felt.

"Thanks, Elias." She smiled up at him.

"I didn't do anything." He shrugged. "Anyways, don't run yourself into the ground. If you collapse, who will take care of Yukiya?"

"Yeah, you're right," Stella chuckled.

"I forgot to tell you... Last night I talked to your housemother. I made up a good excuse for you not coming home, so don't worry. I said you were taking extra lessons and cramming because you did horrible on a test."

 _Gee, thanks..._

"Anyway, I'll see you later." Elias waved as he started walking away.

"Yeah, see you!"

She hurried along to the bathroom, still determined to fix her hair in some way.

...  
...

The classroom was filled with cheerful voices as always. It was a normal day for everyone else. No one even had the slightest idea that Yukiya was missing. But even so, the area around his usual seat was empty like an invisible wall was there. Stella gritted her teeth, frustrated with her classmates' behavior. The anger building in her felt like tiny needles were poking into her heart.

"Good morning, Stella," Luca greeted her, "Oh, a ponytail? Looks nice."

"Hey, Luca!" She smiled back.

* * *

 _"Stay away from... Luca..."_

* * *

Stella furrowed her brow.

 _I felt comfortable with Luca because he reminded me of Evan. I don't really know Luca, do I?_

"What's wrong? You look tired today," the green-haired boy commented.

"I was up late with work." She shrugged. "I don't have much time until Judgment."

 _I want to be friends with him. I'll be careful around him, but I don't have to be mean._

He gave her a sympathetic smile.

"That must be rough. Well, I hope you do well so you can become a real student!"

"Thanks, Luca," Stella giggled.

 _How am I supposed to be scared of him?_

"I've gotta go," the boy announced, patting Stella's head, "I've got to bail before the professor sees me."

She rolled her eyes as he strutted out of the classroom. Just then, the bell rang for class to begin. Professor Schyuler walked in and the chattering ceased. After clearing his throat, he began the lesson.

"Today's class is about Prediction and Reading. They may seem like similar topics at first, but they are quite different. Prediction foresees the future, while Reading tells you details about the person. You may remember covering this during Professor Merkulova's lecture. If you thought of Reading as white magic, Prediction would be black magic. Not everything it shows is good in Prediction. There are also those who use foresight for evil. As such, one must be careful when dealing with Prediction. As you may know, only certain wizards are even capable of using Prediction. That is, not because of its difficulty, but you must be born with the talent. How far one can see into the future, to what extent they can see; this is all determined at birth. You will be performing Prediction today. However, without the talent, it'll be hard to perform it. So, I won't consider to be part of your grade. Don't be too nervous. To give everyone a chance, instead, we will try dream prediction."

A girl raised her hand and asked a question.

"What do you mean by dream prediction?"

"Inside of dreams," the professor explained, "certain symbols may appear, allowing one to predict the future. The symbols have specific meanings that relate to the future. Now, answer me this: What symbolizes growth ad progress? Stella. Give me an answer."

 _Um, give me a second... Ah! I know!_

"It's a frog, right?"

"That is..." Professor Schyuler paused, "... correct."

"Yeah, she ought to know the answer," a boy snickered, "She made them fall like rain!"

The classroom was filled with laughter. Stella awkwardly smiled.

"At least they were cute, right?" she chuckled.

The professor let them laugh for a bit before ordering them to begin.

A sudden knock at the door caught their attention. The professor called for them to enter, and Professor Hart strode through the door. She was carrying a stack of papers.

"Sorry for interrupting," she apologized, "Just need to return these."

Professor Schyuler sighed and walked over. As he took most of the stack from her, he frowned at the class.

"I said to begin, didn't I? Make yourselves comfortable so you can sleep."

 _Perfect! I really need the sleep!_

"Con- er, Professor Schyuler," Professor Heart spoke up, "maybe I could help with that?"

The professor gave a short nod. The young woman grinned and cast a quick spell. Each student received a sheep-shaped pillow. The students expressed their gratitude as they got comfortable. Professor Hart glanced at her coworker.

"Well done," he said stiffly, then directed his attention back to the class, "Now, let's begin. **Reid Lumire Stolki Referido Meisto Pias Rukalo...** "

Professor sang a sleeping spell, and soon the students had drifted off into dreamland.

...  
...

"Stella! Wake up!"

The girl jumped and snapped her head up. Looking around, she found she was still in the classroom. Just as she began to wonder if she was in a dream, Professor Schyuler spoke.

"Are you going to sleep here all day or what?" he asked, "Class is already over."

 _I... I just slept through the whole class! I didn't even dream!_

"Write a report of your dream. If you didn't see anything, report the lack thereof."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Jumping to her feet, Stella ran out. She flew through the halls, an unexplainable sense of anxiety growing in her heart. She found out the reason why when she got to Yukiya's cell. His clothes were a mess and he was breathing heavily. Rushing to his side, she placed her hand on his forehead.

"You have an awful fever again!" she gasped, "I think it's even worse than before!"

 _I don't have a choice... I have to get him more Morning Dew Grass._

"Just wait a little longer, Yukiya!" Stella called over her shoulder as she ran out, "I'll be back!"

The girl ran as fast as she could to the East Forest. She immediately dropped to her knees and began searching for the herb. The fat wing rabbit appeared beside her.

"Not here! Too rare!" he told her.

"I know," Stella replied, "but this is my only hope!"

* * *

 _The scarlet-haired woman took Stella's hand, opened her palm, and placed the magical herb in her hand._

* * *

 _She must know where to find some. I have to hurry! The sun will set soon!_

With that, she ran into the East Forest. The wing rabbit called out to her, trying to warn her, but she paid him no mind. She felt that in such an emergency, there were rules that could be broken. She ordered the magical creature to stay and wait for her and ran into the dark woods.

The East Forest was a terrifying place, and with all that she had experienced the day before, it was even more frightening.

"Too dangerous! Not alone!"

Turning her head, Stella found the wing rabbit flying next to her. She opened her arms and he flew in.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Why here?"

"The woman, the one Yukiya was with before, gave me Morning Dew Grass here yesterday. I'm trying to find her again today."

 _I don't want to beg to her, but if it'll help Yukiya..._

Once she'd walked deep enough into the forest, Stella stopped walking. The wing rabbit looked up at her, agitated. Stella took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could.

"Come out! I know you're there! Please! Yukiya's in danger!"

"Come out! Come out!" the wing rabbit echoed.

Their voices rang through the woods.

"Please save Yukiya! I'm begging you!"

"Please! Please!" her companion shouted.

They were met with silence. Biting her lip, Stella stared at the ground.

 _I need to help him! Why can't I do anything?!_

"What are you doing here?!"

Someone grabbed her from behind and shouted at her. Stella gasped, and whipped her head around. Her eyes widened with shock at who she found.

 _Professor Schyuler?!_

"Stella?" he muttered in surprise, then raised his voice, "What in the world are you doing here?!"

"I-I'm sorry! I got lost!"

"You need to leave here at once! This place is dangerous!"

The professor followed her out of the forest. Once they were out, he glared at her.

"You are an unbelievable nuisance, you know. Do you understand how dangerous this forest is? There is powerful magic here. Never come here again!"

"I'm really sorry, sir. I understand." Stella lowered her head.

 _I'll come back for the root, though, if you and the other professors insist on abandoning Yukiya in the detention chamber!_

"I will overlook it this time. If you come here again, you will be severely punished!"

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Begone!"

 _What am I? An evil spirit?_

Tears formed in her eyes as she apologized. She felt so frustrated and useless. Turning away, Stella walked off before the professor could see her distress. He would likely start asking questions, and she didn't think she'd be able to make up a convincing lie on such short notice.  
Left with no other option, the girl headed back to the detention chamber empty-handed. She called out to the boy, and instantly felt something was off. Yukiya, so sick and in such pain, should not have been able to move from the bed. Yet, he was nowhere to be found. Stella began frantically searching the chamber. She called out to him.  
She found no trace.

 _I didn't see him on my way here! So he must have gone out a while ago! What's going on?!_

"I... I need to find him!"

With that, Stella ran out of the detention chamber, fighting the foreboding feelings growing in her mind.


	16. Into the East Forest

Stella was waiting in the shadows of one of the school buildings. Scribbling down the rest of the magic not, she sent it away.

 _Elias, please hurry!_

Biting her lip, the girl jumped at every shadow. She was at a loss on how to find Yukiya. She knew Elias would help, but it was a matter of when they would find the boy.  
Shivering from more than the cold, Stella looked up at the sky.

"What the-!"

Her eyes widened when she realized the moon had turned blood red. Another wave of foreboding flooded over her heart, and Stella clenched her fist.

 _Why does it feel like I'm running out of time?!_

"Tracking scent!"

Suddenly, the wing rabbit materialized before her. Stella jumped back, caught off-guard.

"W-Who's scent?" she asked.

"Your sweetie!"

At this, the girl leaped to attention.

"You can track him?!"

The magical creature nodded.

"Then let's go!"

With that, the pair ran off. Down the path, through the grass, and to the entrance of the East Forest. Remembering Professor Schuyler's warning from just a few hours prior, she froze. And image of Yukiya's condition earlier flashed through Stella's mind, and she continued on.

 _Why do I feel like something very bad is about to happen?_

Stella pushed away her anxiety and charged into the forest.  
The air within the forest was even eerier than before. Both the girl and the wing rabbit could tell something was different.

 _It wasn't like this when I came here before._

"Stiff air! Bad air! Evil!" the wing rabbit whispered.

Stella gulped. The magical creature had never tried to be quiet before. She had a bad feeling that made her sick to her stomach.

"Close! His scent close!"

"We have to hurry. The sooner we find him, the sooner we can all get out."

They delved deeper and deeper into the forest, but the scenery all looked the same. The trees were identical. It made the girl lose her sense of direction, and her head began to spin. It was all so disorienting, and she could no longer tell the way she came from.

 _This must be that 'powerful magic' everyone talks about..._

"Darkness coming! Don't get swallowed!"

"W-What does that mean?!" Stella gasped.

And then it happened.

 _"Stella..."_

"What was that?! Someone just called my name!"

The wing rabbit tilted his head.

"I heard it!" Stella pushed, "It was a voice I recognize..."

"Careful! Darkness!" The wing rabbit desperately called out to her, "Stella!"

The rabbit's voice became quiet, as though it were fading off into the distance.

 _"Come this way, Stella..."_

 _"Over here, Stella!"_

 _I know these voices...  
Mammina? Papa?_

Her feet carried her towards the voices all on their own. She called out to her parents as she picked up pace. As she passed more and more trees, she saw two figures stepping forward. A young woman with fair skin smiled at her, her ice-blue eyes full of warmth and love. Her long black hair was left down, swaying as a breeze blew through it. Next to her, a young man with bronze skin ad a five o'clock shadow grinned as he ran a hand through his curly, dark brown hair.

Tears dropped from her eyes.

"M-Mammina? Papa?" she sobbed, "Is it really you?"

"Don't tell me you forgotten us!" The woman laughed.

"Cucciola!" her father dramatically gasped, "How could you forget your own father's face?!"

"M-Mammina! Papa!" Stella wailed, throwing her self into their arms.

Their warmth, their smell, it was all the same as it had been before tragedy had struck.

"I've missed you so much!" she sobbed, "I-I've taken care of Lucy! He's happy, and he's healthy! Oh, you should see him now! H-He's so strong, a-and-!"

"We're so proud of you, Little Star," her mother purred, "You've been so good to our Little Light."

"So, Tesoro is safe?" Her father asked.

"Yes, yes!" Stella nodded. "I wouldn't ever leave him until I was sure he'd be alright!"

"Oh, we've missed you," her mother sighed, petting the girl's hair, "It was so sad without you."

"Everyday, I wished I could see you," her father added, kissing his daughter's forehead.

"But we were locked away... in a terrible, dark place." Tears began to fall from the woman's eyes. "There was nothing there, except pain and suffering..."

Something changed in her mother's voice. Stella pulled back her head and looked up at them.

"Mammina? Papa?"

"Don't leave us..." her father said.

"Don't let us go back there alone..." her mother begged.

With that, they each grabbed one of Stella's arms. She gasped at how strong their grips were. A shiver went down her spine.

"W-What's happening?" Stella asked.

"What's wrong, cucciola?" her father asked.

Their grips tightened.

"You said Lucio's safe," her mother added with a smile, "no one needs you anymore."

Stella choked her words.

 _No one... needs... me? ...No one needs me?_

"No one but us, that is," her father added.

She gasped as their grips became painfully tight. She began thrashing trying to pull away.

 _No, I'm still needed! Someone must need me, right?! Someone! Who?! Who still needs me?!_

"Stop it!" Stella screamed, "Let go!"

"Stay here, Stella," her father insisted, "We can be a family again!"

"No, it's not just us! What about Lucy a-and San-!"

Stella screamed in pain as the darkness swallowed them whole. It was a burn so hot, it was cold. She began sobbing, begging to be let out, begging for light, begging for help,  
Begging for people who would never hear her.

"I'm right here."

Someone gently, but firmly held her hand. They seemed to radiate light, and the darkness slithered back. Lifting her head, she found Yukiya. Tears began falling from her eyes once again, and she threw herself into his arms. He held her as she cried, rubbing her back, like one would do to calm a child. When she'd managed to calm herself down enough to speak, she looked up at him.

"... You look so much better," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded, "But we have to hurry... there isn't any time left."

"Time left for what?" She tilted her head.

He smiled down at her with such warmth, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Stella..." he quietly began, "I want to be with you forever."

"You... do?" She stared up at him.

"Just the two of us, with no one to bother us." He leaned his forehead against hers. "That's right. Just me and you... My beloved..."

At some point, he'd wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He gave her a charming smile.

"Yuki...ya?"

"Come on," he said, gently holding her arm as he began to walk, "let's go."

Stella's head felt hollow, as though she'd just woken from a dream.

 _Just us two... that sounds lovely... I wonder, is this what it means to be in love? I don't know if this is still just a crush...  
But... aren't I forgetting something?_

"You mustn't let it swallow you!" a voice shouted.

* * *

 _"You promised!" Lucio sobbed, jumping up in bed, "You said you wouldn't abandon me!"_

 _"Shh, Lucy," Stella soothed, walking over to his cot, "it was a dream... That's all. I'll protect you as long as you need, and even when you don't need me, I'll still be there to watch over you."_

 _"P-Promise?"_

 _"Promise."_

 _She hugged the little boy with all the strength in her little body. She held him til he fell asleep, and stayed by his side until morning._

* * *

 _I... I promised him..._

Stella was pulled back to her senses. Looking around, she realized she was surrounded by darkness. It made no difference whether her eyes were open or closed.

"Stella..." Yukiya smiled, "Isn't it great? You can stay here forever with me and forget all your problems."

She stared at the boy before her. He was all she _could_ see. Her own body was invisible.

 _My light... Lucy is my light... I can't abandon him!_

And yet it was Yukiya before her.

 _Is... he my light, too?_

She smiled at the figure before her.

"You... You aren't Yukiya. Yukiya's never smiled like that at me before. I think it's how I'd like him to smile at me, but I know better." Stella sighed bitterly. "I think I made this darkness. It has almost everything I want, but... it doesn't have Lucy or my friends from La Magnifique, and Yukiya... I'd rather have the real Yukiya, even if he were to hate me. So, I need to go find him."

With that, Stella pulled her wand from her jacket. She held it out.

" **O light, Illuminate the darkness! Lanterna Lumen!** "

With a flick of her wand, a spot of light was born in the darkness. It grew brighter and brighter, eradicating the shadow in its brilliance.

Stella gasped as she dropped the floor of the East Forest. As she tried to collect her bearings, the wing rabbit flew into her arms.

"Hooray! You back!" he sang.

"I... made it?"

"Dangerous! Almost swallowed!"

 _Is that... the powerful magic of the East Forest? Is this what Luca ran into? That voice brought me back to my senses, but who was it?_

"Okay now?" the wing rabbit asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Further and further, they dove into the forest. Stella followed the wing rabbit, and he suddenly stopped.

"There!" he called, nodding to their right.

Stella's eyes widened as she saw two figures moving through the forest.

 _What are they doing here?!_

There was no doubt of who they were.  
Luca had Yukiya's arm slung over his shoulder as he all but dragged the sick boy along. When Yukiya let out a groan of pain, Luca winced but kept moving. The boy was still horribly ill.

 _"Sprikuenall kohdu…  
Sriitanmera muruto…"_

The mysterious song of the night could be clearly heard, but Stella could care less. She was too busy running towards her two classmates.

"Yukiya! Luca!" she shouted.

"Stella?" Luca stared at her in shock. "What the hell are you doing here?! It's dangerous!"

"Stella..." Yukiya groaned as he lifted his head.

"What are you two doing?!" she shouted at them, "Yukiya's still really sick!"

"I know that, obviously," Luca snapped back, "but whether he's sick or not, I need his help."

Yet the boy looked upset as he said this.

"What do you mean?"

"Yukiya can hear the song, so I need him. It _has_ to be done tonight. It's going to be a full lunar eclipse, you know. Soon enough, the blood moon will fill the sky. I need to climb the Tower of Sorrow before that happens."

"But why do you have to take him there?" Stella pushed, "What does this song have to do with anything?"

Luca stared at her.

"This song?" he echoed.

 _Oh, no!_

"You can hear it, too?" Luca asked.

"Yes. I can."

"Stella...! Stop!" Yukiya begged.

"It's fine, Yukiya," Stella soothed, "Don't worry about me."

"No! It's... too dangerous!"

She smiled warmly at him.

"I'm tougher than I look. You go get some rest, and I'll see you before morning!"

"Stella..."

 _Don't look at me like that..._

Luca sat the sick boy on the floor before walking towards the girl.

"So," he began, "It's not just him after all. Thank the gods! I don't think I could have carried him any further."

He reached out and grabbed her hand. He tried to pull her over, but he underestimated her strength.

"Send Yukiya back first," she ordered, "and I'll come with you. I won't try to run, I won't fight against you... And I don't think you really want anyone to get hurt, do you?"

"Fair enough," he nodded, then drew his wand.

"Luca...!" Yukiya snarled, drawing his wand as he shakily stood up, "You... won't take... her!"

"Yukiya," the other boy sighed, "just stop. I know this is an asshole-ish thing to say, but right now... your magic is laughable. Just sit back, relax, and don't die!"

Luca cast the spell just as the sick boy lunged for him. He fell back, but Yukiya was gone before he could do anything else. Stella bit her lip and asked where he'd been sent.

"Outside the dorms," Luca answered as he stood up, "someone will find him and bring him where he needs to go. I'm not the only one who sneaks out."

Stella looked at the ground for a moment before sighing. She had made a promise, and she intended to keep it. Before she did, though, she asked the wing rabbit to watch over Yukiya for her. He hesitated for a moment, then vanished. Stella beckoned for Luca to follow her as she walked into the dark forest, following the song. The boy ran up next to her, keeping his wand drawn. They walked in silence for a while. Stella would be lying if she said she wasn't angry. After a while though, she spoke.

"What's in the Tower?" she asked.

"... Who knows?" he shrugged.

"Knock it off!" she hissed, "I deserve an explanation!"

"You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you," he sighed, "and even if you did, you would think I'm stupid."

"Is it stupid?"

"I don't think so."

They drifted back into silence. A sudden roar, filled with rage, echoed through the forest. Without meaning to, Stella grabbed onto Luca's arm. The boy looked agitated as he whipped his head around.

"W-What was that?" she whispered.

"I... I don't know," he admitted, "stay close. I'll get you back in one piece."

Stella, growing more afraid by the minute, stuck to the boy's arm as they walked through the dark woods. He didn't shake her off as he watched every shadow, every movement from within the darkness.  
It would be long night for everyone, and a night far more revealing than anyone had intended.

* * *

 **Whoah! Suddenly, we're veering off of the original story! What will happen next?!**

* * *

 **For those wondering, both cucciola and tesoro are terms of endearment.**

 **Cucciola - pup, cub**

 **Tesoro - ducky, sweet pea**


	17. The Tower's Guard

The pair walked for what felt like hours before they came to a clearing. Stepping out from the bushes, Stella gasped at what she saw.

It was giant tower, wide as a house, but taller than any building she'd ever seen. The song echoed out from it, but the cold, tense air made the girl freeze in her tracks. Luca walked up to stand next to her.

"I'm here..." he quietly stated.

He wasn't talking to her, but to himself. Stella watched him and came to a realization.

 _He's shaking, and his eyes are wide... Is he... afraid?_

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Luca regained his composure and smiled.

"Well, you got me here. You stick around outside till I come out."

"No way in hell!" Stella snapped, "I was attacked by shadows, almost eaten by hellhounds, and a ghost creeped me out! I'm going inside!"

 _And I'm gonna find out what you're so interested in!_

"Wait, seriously?" Luca stared at her, "After all that, you still came out here? Yukiya's a lucky guy."

Stella stared at the ground for a few moments before looking him in the eyes.

"... I'm your friend, too..."

"What?" He stared at her in surprise.

"You're being a jerk right now, but..." she sighed, "I think you have your burdens, too."

The boy laughed.

"What are you talking about? No, nevermind. Let's just focus on getting to the tower."

He offered his arm, just as another angry roar, sounding closer than before, rang through the forest. Stella snatched her companion's arm into a death grip. The boy readjusted his grip on his wand looking agitated. The pair quickly made their way into the Tower.

...

* * *

...

This was the second most terrifying and confusing night in Elias' life. The first was a duel between Elias and his brothers. They were both extremely competitive.

The beast stopped in its tracks. Elias jumped behind a tree despite knowing he was using a cloaking spell.

 _Yukiya. That's Yukiya, not a beast._

Yukiya let out another roar before running in another direction. Elias climbed back onto his broom and followed. A few hours earlier, he'd run out of his dorm just in time to see his roommate rip off his eye-patch and transform into... well, into something Elias had never seen before. The boy made a mental note to research what he could be. As he followed his friend deeper and deeper into the East Forest, Elias thought about many things.

 _Where are we going?  
_ _Where did Stella go?  
Why was Yukiya cursing, and did he mention Luca, or was I imagining it?  
If I wasn't, are we going to where Luca is? If so, where is he? Is Stella with him?  
That would help explain why Yukiya was so angry... kind of..  
Oh, how much trouble is this going to get us into?!_

Nevertheless, Elias faithfully followed Yukiya into darkness.

...

* * *

...

Stella was growing more afraid with each passing moment. The air was cold and silent. The song that had guided the pair had abruptly stopped. The silence was suffocating as Stella moved closer to her companion. Luca made no comment, no attempt to move away, as he led her along, up a set of stairs.

"We're going to the top floor," he told her.

"I don't know what would be worse," she sighed, "if the mausoleum stretches high into the sky, or deep underground."

"Yeah, both of those have the same problem..."

"Isolation," they said at the same time.

If it were a different situation, they might have laughed. But they were where they were, and there wasn't room for humor. They continued walking in silence. What felt like hours passed, yet the pair had seemed to make no progress. The tower was certainly tall, but they should have seen _something_ by now. Stella's legs were growing tired, and based on the slight flush of his cheeks, Luca was too.

"Hey!" he suddenly called out, making his companion jump, "There' a platform up there. We can take a short rest, but once we recover our strength, we hae to get moving."

"Time's running out?" Stella mused.

Luca just nodded as they made their way up. In the back of the room, there was another set of stairs, pushed back, as though they were meant to be hidden. Stella flopped down and pulled off her shoes, massaging her feet. Her companion knelt down before her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I've been better." She shrugged. "But I've also been much worse."

"Oh? Do tell?"

"Only if you tell me why we're here."

Luca let out a defeated chuckle as he ran his fingers through his hair. He was quiet, lost in thought.

"Fine." He looked back up at her with a smile. "We're here to... find out where I'm from."

Stella stared at him for a moment.

"Luca..." she deadpanned, "I don't know how to tell you this, but... You're not descended from the Dragon of Time. If you attended class, you would know that, Luca."

"Wait, what? No, no, that's not-" he broke off into chuckles, "No, there's something I need on the top floor. It's not the dragon itself."

"Ah."

 _What is it then?_

"Now it's your turn," Luca smirked as he leaned in, "What's a 'much worse situation'?"

Stella closed her eyes in thought. There were many things in her life that she could say, but if Luca was to be vague, she would be to.

"Being too late to save the Sun."

Furrowing his brows, Luca tilted his head.

"'The Sun'?" he echoed, "What does that mean?"

Stella closed her eyes.

"It doesn't matter now. I chose the Light over the Sun. A Star can exist without the Sun, but a Star is nothing but empty darkness without the Light."

Her companion narrowed his eyes.

"You... chose to save one person over another?"

"... Can you call it that when the other person is too far gone?"

Luca opened his mouth to speak when a sudden roar ripped through the air. Stella gasped and leaped to her feet. Luca stood in front of her with his wand drawn. From behind the stairs, in a hidden opening, a monster stalked out. It's mismatched eyes, one gold and the other blue, glared at them with malice. It's viper-headed tail hissed and moved its head from side to side. A goat head's nostrils were flaring as it prepared its large horns for an attack. Yet it was a lion's head that had roared. Its cream colored coat was shining in the torches' light. On its legs were gauntlets, on its ears and tails were jewelry, and despite her terror, Stella could only stare, mesmerized. She had never seen a creature so terrifying, yet so beautiful. She stood, frozen to the spot.

"It's a chimera!" Luca hissed.

The beast let out another roar.

"So it is," Stella murmured.

"Stella, snap out of it!" the boy barked, "If we stay here, we're dead!"

 _But what a beautiful creature to be killed by... It's better than burning at the stake or drowning..._

Suddenly, she was yanked to the side. Pulled out of her mind, she looked up at Luca in surprise.

"What's with you?" Luca snapped, "You have to protect 'The Light', right?"

"I wasn't planning on dying," Stella grumbled, "this is just so... surreal?"

Luca cast a spell on the magical beast, but it had no effect. Stella gulped and shoved her companion to the left, just barely missing the chimera's attack. She glanced at the stairs.

"That has to be where you want to go," Stella realized.

"Yeah, but we have to deal with the guard first."

"No," Stella shook her head, "You go on ahead."

The boy stared at her in shock. He tried cast a spell, but once again, it was useless. He turned back to her.

"No way! That thing'll kill you!"

"I've survived worse."

"No way, you can't-"

"'Use magic'? Does that really matter? Your magic's useless anyway."

Stella pulled him out of the chimera's reach before continuing.

"I can dodge better if I'm not pulling you out of the way every few minutes. Just go! Once your up the stairs, I'll head out the other way. Stay here and I'll come back with help."

"Yes, yes, you're so brave, but-"

Stella shoved him away from her as one of the beast's paws came crashing down. Now that they were separated, it focused its attention on the boy.

 _Oh, no!_

Stella threw her arms around the beast's neck, catching it off guard.

"Run!" she shouted.

Luca hesitated for a moment.  
Then he ran to the stairs. The chimera had begun thrashing about, venom dripping from the snake's head, smoke billowing from the goat's nose,and oud howl reverberating through the air. It didn't take long for the creature to throw the girl off. With a grunt of pain, she hit the stone wall.

 _I have to get out of here!_

Stella pushed herself up and ran for the doorway. However, just before she could run through, a heavy claw knocked her to the side. She flew threw the air, unable to process what had just happened. The wind was knocked out of her. With a gasp, she rolled onto her stomach and shakily got to her knees. She lifted her head just in time to see the chimera's claw crashing down again. This time, when her body was sent flying, Stella screamed.  
Her body bounced on the stone, and she went silent.

...

* * *

...

Elias flinched at the sound of a bloodcurdling scream. He had never heard something sound so pained and afraid. Below him, Yukiya froze, visibly shaken. His fur bristled, as though a chill had gone down his spine. That had happened to Elias.

 _Please don't let that be who I think it is!_

With a roar, one somehow sounding less filled with rage, Yukiya ran into the Tower. Just as he was about to follow, a flash of light caught Elias' eye. It came from the top of the Tower, and something, a quiet voice, told him to follow it. Elias readjusted his grip on the broom and headed for it. As he got closer, he could make out the shape of a person.

 _Is that... No, that's not possible! It's-_

"Luca!"

...

* * *

...

Stella scrambled up, huffing. She tried to think clearly, but she'd hit her head on the floor at some point. She glanced at the magical beast. Its eyes glittered as it slowly stalked towards her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Stella knew it was cornering her.

The gods only knew how long the chimera had been guarding the Tower. There was certainly almost no trespassers in all the time the Tower had stood, and chimeras were intelligent creatures. And when intelligent creatures are offered no stimulation, they get bored.  
When cats get bored, they toy with their prey. The chimera had a lion head. It was close enough.

The snake let out a hiss and Stella let out a scared laugh. If it were another situation, she might have been able to charm it. If she could turn a vicious basilisk into a puppy-like pet, why couldn't she do it to a chimera?

 _Because chimera's enjoy attacking people. And the basilisk was an abandoned hatchling._

Stella found it funny that she could reason that out, but not figure out an escape plan. The magical beast pounced and Stella threw herself back. She was proud of her athleticism and agility, but she was getting tired. Her open gashes and splitting headache certainly didn't help her situation.

Another claw.  
Another leap to the side.  
Another snap of jaws.  
Another jump back.

Somehow, she ended up tripping. Stella had no time to stand before she was sent up into the air. She cried out as she hit the floor. She opened her eyes, confused as to why the ground no longer felt cold, but sticky and wet. It was blood. Her own blood.  
Something began to bubble up in her chest. She wasn't she what it was that she felt as she watched her attacker stalk towards her.

"Ha... haha..."

Giggles slipped past her lips. Stella couldn't bring herself to move as the chimera got closer and closer.

 _I was wrong. There's nothing beautiful about this._

The magical creature was standing above her now. It raised its claw, preparing to crash down on her limp body. She wondered how much it would hurt. It would surely break her bones. She watched its arm start moving.

 _Should I... close my eyes?_

Suddenly, a dark mass barreled into the chimera, throwing it on its side. Stella watched semi-consciously as the chimera stood up. The black furred creature looked like a mix between a wolf and a lion, with golden eyes, a pair of fanged teeth, and a set of violet horns. It was only half the size of the chimera, but it looked bigger as its fur bristled. The larger beast brought its paw down, but the smaller beast moved out of the way. Where the chimera had power, the newcomer had speed.  
Again and again, the light colored beast tried to land a hit, but its opponent was simply too fast. While the magical creatures were distracted, Stella tried to drag herself to the stairs. A sudden thud caught the girl's attention. Looking back, she saw the smaller beast lying on the ground, dazed. The chimera let out a growl of satisfaction as it stalked to its rival. Stella drew her wand.

" **Scuntum Ventos!** "

A barrier of wind surrounded the smaller beast's body. The chimera snarled with frustration before turning its attention back to the girl.

 _I... need to cast another barrier spell._

She tried to repeat the incantation, but the girl was starting to slur her words. Her vision started to darken as her consciousness faded, but Stella swore she saw the small beast climbing to its feet. With a final sigh, Stella shut her eyes.


	18. Yukiya's Sad Story

A quiet groan slipped past Stella's lips. She covered her eyes with her hand as she tried to gather her bearings.

 _Where... am I?_

The lights were so bright, Stella kept her hand up. She furrowed her brow, trying to fight through the fog in her mind.

 _The... Tower... Luca was upstairs... The chimera was tossing me around like a ragdoll..._

The girl realized she was no longer in pain. No pain, but her body was achy and weak.

 _I don't think I'm dead... Why am I not dead?_

She pushed herself onto her side. The cool pillow felt nice on her skin. She tried to move her leg, only to find it felt as heavy as lead.

 _There... was another beast... It was smaller..._

Slowly, Stella opened her eyes. She saw rows of beds and plenty of windows. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

"Awake now, sleeping beauty?"

Stella, still feeling dazed, turned to see who had spoken. Amelia was sitting on the chair next to her. Stella gave her a soft smile.

"I hope you didn't try to wake me with a kiss," she softly laughed.

"No, Stella. I'm afraid you're not my true love. It wouldn't work."

"I'm hurt."

Though she said it jokingly, Amelia looked upset.

"I wasn't told what happened, but... They said your wounds were healed. You lost a lot of blood, so that's why you're groggy."

 _Ah..._

"I fought a dragon."

Amelia stared at her in confusion.

"What?"

"I fought a dragon," Stella repeated, "there was a princess locked up in a tower. Her knight was knocked out, and someone needed to step up and save the damsel."

An annoyed look flashed through the older girl's eyes.

"Stella!" she snapped, "You were in terrible condition! They almost couldn't save you!"

Stella's eyes widened. She stared at her friend for a few moments.

"... Sorry..."

Amelia lowered her head.

"Don't apologize. I shouldn't have raised my voice. I was just worried. You haven't been in the dorm for the past few nights. Delilah told me you were worried about Yukiya."

"How is he?"

"I don't know. You should worry about yourse-"

"I'm not worth worrying about."

Amelia froze at the sudden coldness in the girl's tone. Stella was looking somewhere in the distance, her eyes seeing something no one else could. Amelia stopped talking and listened.

"I'm only here for him."

"'Him'? You mean Yukiya?"

"The Light."

"Who is the Light?"

"The only reason a Star exists."

Amelia bit her lip. She didn't understand what the girl was saying. Instead she reached over and held the girl's hands in hers. Stella flinched, and the light returned to her eyes. She gave her usual smile.

"Sorry," she began, "I think I hit my head harder than I thought."

"It's fine. Stella, there are many people who care about you. Please don't forget that."

"I know," she smiled, "I don't plan on dying for a long, long time."

She meant those words to be comforting, and to a certain degree, they were. However, they made Amelia wonder something.  
Who was she living for?

...  
...

"Thanks." Stella smiled at her friends.

"No problem," Amelia replied, "It was about time you change your uniform anyway."

"Let's hope it's not the last time I wear it!" Stella laughed.

"It won't be!" Delilah cried, "It can't! You'll pass your Judgement!"

Stella laughed.

"I hope so!"

 _After all that's happened, I'll be ticked if I'm sent home!_

Taking a deep breath, she walked into the auditorium.  
It was silent, save for the sound of her shoes. A shiver went down Stella's spine as she was reminded of the previous day. It had been silent when she and Luca had entered the Tower.

 _Wait, where is Luca?_

Her steps faltered. She realized she had no idea where he'd gone. She didn't know if Yukiya had been taken where he needed to be. She didn't know if Elias had received her note. Suddenly, the gap in her memory filled her with foreboding. Anything could have happened.

"Stella?" The headmaster walked towards her. "Are you alright?"

"I... I"m confused..."

"Understandable, given everything that's happened," he nodded, "I can explain everything after your judgement."

"... Okay..."

 _Why would he know what's happened?_

Nonetheless, Stella followed him to the podium at the back of the auditorium. She saw Professor Schyuler standing next to an elaborate, golden scale.

 _The Scale of Judement..._

"Shall we begin?" Headmaster Randolph asked, "Your acceptance letter?"

Stella pulled out the letter that Amelia had brought for her. Her hands shaking slightly, she handed it to the headmaster.

"Scale of Judgement!" he bellowed, and the scale began to glow in response. "Stella Carlevaro. Whether or not she is fit to enroll in this academy... Now is the time to judge!"

 _Why does he have to sound so ominous?!_

The acceptance letter began to glow. It slipped from the headmaster's fingers like a fish and floated in front of the scale. At the headmaster's order, Stella stepped forward and held up the letter. At the same time, the scale began to glow brightly. With a sudden blinding light, magic blasted out strongly enough to blow back the girl's hair. The scale began to shake and clatter, and then with a dull, low sound, it started tilting. With wide eyes, Stella watched as the right side of the scale slumped down. The scale lost its glow, and the letter began shining instead. The word "Provisional" faded off the letter. Stella gasped as the letter lost its light and floated down into her hand.

"Congratulations, Stella!" Headmaster Randolph smiled down at her.

"Congratulations." Professor Schyuler gave her an approving nod.

"From this day forth," the headmaster began, "you are an official student of Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy. Now, I'm sure you have many questions, but I will answer them later. Your friends are safe, so just go rest in your dorm for a while. When you're feeling better, you can come to my office."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

The girl walked out of the auditorium. Her steps were lighter, but she still had mixed feelings. She was worried about her friends, but happy she'd been accepted.

 _What about Lucy?_

Stella stopped. She hadn't really thought about what being accepted meant. She wouldn't be gone for a few weeks. It would be around six years. The realization hit the girl like a blow to the stomach.

 _I... I can't leave Lucy..._

Anxiety began to fill her heart. Stella covered her mouth with her hand.

 _I promised I wouldn't leave him!_

Leaning against the wall, she took a shaky breath.

 _I have to talk to him. Face to face._

"Hey!"

A sudden hand came down on her shoulder. Stella gasped in surprise and jumped.

"Sorry!" Amelia squeaked, "Didn't mean to scare you!"

"No, no... I was getting lost in thought."

Delilah stepped forward.

"Did you..."

"Get accepted? Well..." Stella lowered her gaze.

Delilah bit her lip, looking upset. Amelia looked ready to give her a hug.

"I'm in."

"Woohoo!"

"You jerk! Trying to scare us like that!"

Stella laughed as Amelia gave her nudge to the arm.

"We need to celebrate!" the older girl grinned.

"Maybe on our next day off?" Delilah suggested, "We could go into town."

"Great idea! I knew it was a good idea to keep you around!"

Stella giggled.

"That sounds fun!" she nodded.

Her two friends laughed as they walked her back to the dorms. They talked about what to do, and where they'd go. As Stella walked through her door and to her bed, she had a thought.

 _Is this what most girls do?_

* * *

 _A large beast covered in dark fur was fighting of a chimera at least twice its size. It stood no chance, yet it kept fighting. Stella watched, unable to move. She tried calling out, but she had no voice. She could only silently observe.  
The beasts battled, clawing and biting. Suddenly, the smaller of the creatures was thrown to the ground. Its body slid across the floor, stopping by where Stella laid. The beast looked up at her with golden, mournful eyes. They looked so familiar. Stella stared at him, and for a moment, it was not a horned creature, but something else.  
It was Yukiya._

* * *

Stella gasped as her eyes flew open. Sitting up, she rubbed her head. It was an odd dream. Surely it had to mean something.

"... I should go check on Yukiya."

The sun hadn't set yet, so Stella had time. She would go check on her friend, then go straight to the headmaster's office. He could give her a pass in case she was late. Grabbing a magic note, she quickly wrote to Yukiya. She let it go and ran to follow it.

She slipped past students, dodged teachers, and hid from familiars. She had learned how to be invisible when she was young. She hadn't forgotten.  
Eventually, she got to the boys' dorms. She avoided any attention as she followed the note around the building, towards the back. It flew up to the second story balcony and slipped between the shut doors. The girl didn't waste any time. She started climbing a nearby tree. By the time the door opened, Stella was sitting on a branch just above the balcony. She couldn't jump down, as a sudden wave of dizziness overtook her.

 _Maybe I should have slept more..._

"Stella!?"

Looking down, she found Yukiya staring up at her with wide eyes.

"Could you catch me?" she asked.

Without a word, he held out his arms. In her years living at La Merveille, Stella learned the proper way to drop down.  
Yukiya caught her, and stood with her in his arms. Stella tilted her head.

"Could you let me down, now?"

He lowered his head so she couldn't see his eyes.

"I can stand on my own, you know."

After a few more moments, he carefully set her down. Stella didn't have enough time to take a breath before she was wrapped in a painfully tight hug. The boy's face was buried in her shoulder, making her blush.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

He responded by tightening his grip.

"Yukiya?"

He didn't respond. Just as she was about to speak up again, the girl realized something.  
The boy was shaking.

 _Oh, Yukiya..._

Stella tightly hugged him back. At her touch, the boy flinched but did not pull away. They stood like that for a while until Stella placed her hands on his chest and lightly pushed. Yukiya didn't let go, but he loosened his grip just enough to give them room to face each other.

"I'm alright, Yukiya," Stella began quietly, "See? I'm very much alive."

"...-hy..."

She tilted her head at his mumbled words.

"What was that?"

"I asked why!"

Stella flinched at how he suddenly raised his voice. He glared down at her, but there was sadness in his eyes, too. Too surprised to say anything, she could only listen.

"Why..." Yukiya continued, his voice cracking, "did you...?"

"I... I wanted to help... You and Luca needed he-"

"You were willing to die?"

Though his voice had gone quiet again, Stella could hear barely-suppressed anger.

"I wasn't going to die."

"I saw you! You were lying in your own blood! I saw you hit the wall, I saw you slump to the ground! You weren't moving!"

Despite his angry words, the boy looked as though he might begin crying at any moment. A wave of guilt swept over the girl. She bit her lip as he looked away.  
Without a word, Stella gently took his face in her hands, ignoring his sudden flinch. She turned his face towards her and lightly closed her eyes. Going on her toes, she kissed his nose. Then each of his cheeks. Then his forehead. Then his eyes. As she did, she felt Yukiya tightening his grip on her. When she was done, she opened her eyes and smiled up at him.

"I'm alive and well now," she softly told him, "Just this once, will you forgive me?"

Yukiya was silent as he pressed his lips to her forehead. He stayed in that position for a few moments.

"Never do that again. Promise me."

"Promise."

Yukiya seemed to relax at that, ever so slightly. Stella giggled.

"How long do you plan to hold me?"

He didn't say anything.

"Need some more time?"

He nodded and Stella let out another laugh. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him back.

"Hey," she said after some time had passed, "you were there, weren't you?"

Yukiya went stiff, but she continued.

"You said it yourself, you saw me."

Still no response. Stella sighed.

"You don't have to explain if you don't want to. The headmaster said to come to his office later. He's going to tell me what happened."

"No."

"No?" She tilted her head.

"I... will explain."

"A-Are you sure?"

He nodded, then picked up her hand. He led her to his bed and sat down. Taking the seat next to him, the girl gently took hold of his hand.

"I... I know you've made some sort of contract to gain magic," she told him, "but that's all. I don't know any details."

He gave s small nod, as though he'd already known. After a deep breath, he spoke.

"It started when I was about thirteen."

That was how Yukiya began his story.

* * *

 _A woman with braided, dark blue hair was chopping up vegetables. She lifted her head and addressed to her oldest son._

 _"Yukiya," she began in her usual soft voice, "Would you please run to town and get me some cheese?"_

 _The young boy set down his youngest sister and stood up._

 _"Alright." He nodded._

 _"Thank you." She warmly smiled down at him. "Be safe."_

 _"I want to go, too!" cried Kaiya, the oldest of his sisters._

 _"Don't worry, I'll be right back," Yukiya reassured her before glancing at their mother, "Do you need anything else?"_

 _The woman smiled. She lightly patted her round belly and smiled at him._

 _"The baby and I have everything we need here. Just need some cheese for tonight's dinner."_

 _He nodded and headed towards the door. He ruffled his sister's hair, promising to go with her to the market another day. She smiled as she watched him go.  
As the boy walked down the dirt road, a bad feeling rose up in his chest. He shrugged it off as just being his imagination.  
When he got to town, he headed straight to the Gallows Sisters' shop. Yukiya was grateful that the friendlier of the twins was behind the counter. However, before he could leave, she started a conversation about the farms. The boy politely stayed and talked. His parents had raised him to do such things.  
_

 _By the time Yukiya got back, it was late, but he noticed something was wrong right away. He could smell burning straw and another strange scent._

 _"Blood?!" He gasped._

 _He raced to the village and found everyone in a panic. Dread filled him as he ran to his house. People were fleeing their homes, screaming. Flames gushed out of windows and roofs. A boy around his age came running towards him._

 _"Benny, what's going on?!" Yukiya asked him._

 _"Raiders!" he shouted, "I gotta find Posy!"_

 _With that, the boy ran off. Yukiya didn't hesitate either.  
Slamming his front door open, he plunged into his house, frantically searching for his family. When he found them, a shiver went down his spine. A gang of men were ravaging the house, looking for anything valuable. His father was lying on the ground unconscious. His brother was pressing a bloody cloth to the man's head. Kaiya was holding their baby brother and hiding their younger sister behind her. Their mother stood in front of them all, holding out a knife to attack whoever got too close. They all seemed to notice Yukiya's presence at once._

 _"Help!" his sisters sobbed._

 _"Yukiya!" cried his brother._

 _"Yukiya! Run!" his mother shouted._

 _The raiders turned and saw him._

 _"Let's just kill'em all before the knights, or warrior mages or whatever get here," growled one of them._

 _"I wanna carve up the little lady!" one cackled._

 _"Then I call dibs on little boy blue over here."_

 _"Who cares? Someone just shut that baby up!"_

 _The raiders brandished their weapons, some heading for Yukiya and others for his family._

 _"Stop! Stop this!" Yukiya begged, tears falling from his eyes._

 _"Or what?" snickered one of the raiders, "You'll bite me?"_

 _His sister screamed as a raider yanked her towards him._

 _"Been wanting to test my new knife out on flesh," he hissed._

 _"Run, Yukiya!" his mother screamed, pulling her daughter back._

 _The boy froze, shaking with terror. He felt useless. Powerless. He could only cower in fear.  
He felt his family's suffering was because he was weak.  
He needed strength. He needed power._

 _Darkness overtook the boy's vision. He couldn't even see his hand in front of his own face. For a moment, Yukiya thought he'd been killed.  
As he stood there in confusion, a wolf covered in ashen-grey fur appeared before him. It was the only thing he could see.  
There was something in its golden eyes that told Yukiya it wasn't a regular wolf._

 _"Do you want power?" the wolf calmly asked._

 _The boy leaned forward._

 _"I can give you the power you desire. The power of magic."_

 _"Magic..." Yukiya echoed._

 _"Make a contract with me."_

 _"What contract?"_

 _"I will give you the power you want," the wolf told him, "And in exchange, I will take your soul."_

 _"W-What?!" Yukiya stumbled back._

 _"I'll stay beside you from now on, and I'll take your soul to nourish myself."_

 _"Why would I let you do that?!"_

 _"Don't you want to save your village? Your family?"_

 _The boy went silent._

 _"At this rate," the wolf continued, "both you and your family will die. Make a contract with me, and your family and village will be saved. What other choice do you have? Will you let them all die painful deaths?"_

 _Yukiya clenched his fists, staring down at where the ground should have been. After biting his lip, he spoke._

 _"Fine. I'll do it."_

 _"Good." The wolf sounded pleased._

 _That instant, Yukiya's left eye felt like it had caught on fire. He screamed and dropped the floor._

 _"I marked your left eye," the wolf explained, "It will be proof of our contract."_

 _The boy let out a sob._

 _"Take the wand, Yukiya. Take it."_

 _The boy held his eye with one hand and reached for the wand with the other._

* * *

"After that, I don't remember what happened," Yukiya quietly said, "It was all a blur, but in the end, I saved the village and my family from the raiders. My new power... it allowed me to protect my family and village. I didn't feel useless anymore. But... on the night of the full moon,

* * *

 _Yukiya screamed in agony. His entire body felt like he was melting and tearing apart. He was transforming...  
He was turning into a monster._

 _With a roar, he watched his mother rush his siblings out of the house. His father tried to call out to him, but the boy could not speak. His little sister began to cry in fear.  
Yukiya felt his heart break._

 _He was a monster.  
A frightening beast.  
And his family was terrified of him._

 _So he ran. Outside the house, the wolf was waiting._

 _"What have you done to me?!" Yukiya roared._

 _"You chose this." Was the calm reply._

 _"What?!"_

 _"This is the sacrifice you had to make to obtain power. When your marked eye looks upon the full moon, you shall become a magical creature."_

 _"What are you talking about?! I don't want this! I want to end our contract!"_

 _"One does not simply break a contract once it has been made. You will live with this 'curse' like contract for the rest of your life."_

* * *

"My family and my village f... feared me because of my curse. I even lived in fear of the curse that lived inside me. Every time I transformed, I felt myself losing more and more control. I had no choice but to leave the village for good," he finished.

Stella sat there in silence. There was nothing she could say. She had been trying to figure out who the boy was since she'd first met him. Now that she knew his biggest secret, his heaviest burden, she was at a loss. Her eyes felt watery as she tightly hugged him.

"I... I'm sorry," she lamely murmured.

"...You didn't do anything. I made the decision. I have to deal with the consequences." He hugged her back, his grip weak, as though his energy had been drained.

"... We've all made decisions with bad- horrible- outcomes," she said after a moment, "but you have people around you. We can work together to overcome our hardships. If we all share the weights of our burdens, we can all stand stronger."

"... What about your burdens?"

Yukiya could feel her stiffen in his arms. She looked up at him with a stiff smile.

"I... That..." she took a breath, "That is a story for another time."

Yukiya looked away, his brow furrowed. Stella softly called out to him.

"Yukiya? Are you alright?"

He refused to answer her. Even from her angle, the girl could see the emotions dancing through his eyes. Sadness, nostalgia, desolation, and pain. She realized it wasn't her words that had caused, at least not all of it.

 _He did just tell me... everything. He must be in so much pain..._

Stella thought about what she could do to make him feel at least a bit better.

 _Ah, maybe I could surprise him!_

Without any warning, Stella pushed him down onto his bed. Yukiya had no chance to prepare himself, and landed on his back with a short sqawk. She placed a hand over her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.

"S-Sorry," she tried to say, "I meant to-pfft- make you smile, but... hehe... I didn't think... you'd... make that sort of... noise!"

Her stomach was beginning to hurt from the effort it took to contain her laughter. Yukiya's face turned red and frowned at her.

"Stop laughing."

His pouting certainly didn't help his case. It just made her want to tease him more.

"Hey, are you ticklish?" she asked.

He tried to put on a straight face, but Stella saw it. That flash of horror that every ticklish person wore when someone asked that question. Stella let out a cackle and raised her hands.

"Please don't," Yukiya begged.

"Sorry, Yuki," she replied, "you're going to laugh one way or another."

With that, she set to tickling his sides. The boy let out a hiss as he tried to hold back his laughter.

"The sooner you laugh, the sooner I stop!"

Yukiya stubbornly refused. He silently stared up at her in defiance. Stella stopped for a moment, planning on continuing her attack as soon as his guard was down.

"Eep!"

Stella let out a squeal as she was rolled onto her back. She stared up at Yukiya in shock. He loomed over her, his brow furrowed.

"I told you not to."

"S-Sorry, I just wanted to ma-"

"Are you?"

She tilted her head.

"Are you ticklish?"

"I... I don't think so."

 _I don't remember..._

A new light danced in his eye. At first, she didn't recognize it, as she had never seen such a look on the boy before. But as he raised his hands, Stella realized what it was.  
Mischievousness.

Stella tried to squirm away, but it was too late. She howled with laughter as he tickled her sides. She tried to push him away, but there was no strength in her arms.

"S-Stop!" she cried, "I surrender!"

"No."

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, when suddenly...

 _ **Knock Knock**_

The two fell into silence as someone knocked on the door.

"I didn't hear a girl in there, did I?" the housemother asked through the door.

"No, ma'am," Yukiya called back.

"Ah, that's right," they heard the woman mutter to herself, "this room belongs to the emo and the book head. What was I worrying about?"

Stella held back her laughter until after she had left.

"Oh, Yuki," she snickered, "you and Elias are that bad with girls?"

"Shut it." His cheeks seemed to be slightly flushed.

"That's so sad, though!" she snickered, "not even one of you?"

"I'm warning you."

"Not magic chocolates? A singing love letter? A secret kiss in the shadows of the greenhouse?" She looked away trying to stop her giggling.

Perhaps she went too far, or maybe it was something about her face, but Yukiya soon silenced her.

"Hey?!"

It took her a full minute to realize that it was his lips that she felt on her jaw. A shiver went down her spine as he pulled away. She stared up at him in muted shock, and he seemed just as surprised. He covered his mouth with his hand and backed away.

"... S-Sorry..." he murmured.

Stella laid there for a few moments, still trying to process what had happened.

"It's... fine," she replied.

She sat up and glanced at him.

 _Well, I guess I did kiss him before when I had to give him the medicine...  
_ _No! That was_ not _a kiss!_

The girl lightly coughed before standing up. She smiled down at the boy and lightly tapped her lips.

"I think you missed," she giggled.

Yukiya's eye widened, but Stella had already turned and headed for the window. As she climbed over the side, she called out to the boy.

"I'm going to the headmaster's in an hour. You should come, too."

He gave her a nod, still looking dazed. Stella let out another laugh before heading back to her dorm.

...  
...

After lightly knocking on the door, the students were given permission to enter. Headmaster Randolph gestured for them to take their seats. Yukiya took the seat next to Stella and Elias took the seat on his other side. When they were settled, the headmaster spoke.

"Well, I'm sure you have plenty of questions. But before you ask, let me see if I can answer them," he said, "The tower you three were in was, in fact, The Tower of Sorrow. Stella, Yukiya, the room you two were in was just below where the stone dragon was. Elias, you saw the Dragon of Time in person."

He paused to give the students some time to process the information.

"As you know, there are three mages that protect the tower. One is Professor Schuyler. I am the second."

Elias raised his hand.

"You don't need to raise your hand," the man smiled, "but go ahead."

"Sorry, sir. May I ask who the third mage is?"

The headmaster glanced out the window. The sun would be setting soon.

"You'll see soon enough," the headmaster answered.

"Um, Headmaster?" Stella spoke up, "Where is Luca?"

"He's been placed in the Detention Chambers. He will need to be punished for what he's done. The three of you, however, are in the clear."

Stella shifted in her seat.

"Luca..." she quietly began, "I think he had a good reason for what he did..."

The headmaster leaned back in his chair. He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

"He... didn't want to hurt anyone, but he had to find something up there, in the tower. He was... looking for something I think. He was scared of what he would find."

Headmaster Randolph began rubbing his chin in thought.

"Luca is... a very skilled wizard," Elias added after a moment, "it would be a shame if he was sent away before his skills could be fully cultivated."

"I... I'm still mad about the situation, but... He deserves a second chance," Yukiya quietly stated.

The headmaster nodded.

"... I will consider your thoughts on the situation. Now, anymore questions?"

As much as it annoyed her, Stella couldn't find anything else to ask. As she glanced at her friends, they seemed to be in the same boat.

"Ah, it's time," the headmaster murmured, then spoke up, "You're about to meet the third mage."

Before anyone could say anything else, a bright light filled the room. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Stella saw someone she would have never expected to see.

"Hello, dear," the red-haired woman smiled.

"You!" The girl cried.

"Yes, me. I am the third mage. I made a contract with Randolph hundreds of years ago. Now, we are immortal, together. He reigns this body during the day, while I have the night."

"Are you two... the same person?" Elias asked.

"Yes and no. You see, he is conscious now. He sees what I see, hears what I hear. We can even communicate. It's the same for me during the day. Ah, and Randolph wants me to reassure you, Stella, that we are _not_ in a relationship with _any_ students. Personally, I prefer older men."

The woman giggled as Stella's face went up in flames. As she buried her face in her hands, Yukiya spoke.

"Who... are you?"

At his question, the woman looked somber.

"... You mean who _was_ I. And that doesn't matter."

The woman stood up and opened a drawer. She handed each of the students a slip of paper.

"If you don't have anymore questions, head back to your dorms. Those passes should get you out of any trouble."

None of the three had anything more to ask, at least at the moment. They said their goodbyes and walked outside.

"... I think this requires further discussion," Elias said after a moment, "but at a later date. We should head back and get some rest."

"Agreed," Stella replied.

Yukiya nodded.

Stella waved goodbye to her friends and ran back to the girls' dorm. As she was given the clear by the housemother, she came to a decision.

 _I need to talk to Luca._


	19. Mean Beastie

Stella groaned and pushed herself up. She could have slept for another hour or so, but she had already missed a day's worth of class, and she didn't want to have to come in on her day off to make up for it. Amelia threw her a concerned glance.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" she asked, "If you push yourself too hard before you've fully recovered, you could get sick."

"I'll be fine," Stella reassured her, "Let me just get ready."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Stella dramatically sighed, earning a chuckle from her roommate. She walked into the bathroom and grabbed her brush. As she was trying to fix her hair, she let out a sigh.

 _Maybe I should just cut it. It'd be a lot easier to take care of, at least._

Her stomach growled, and the girl decided her hair looked nice enough. She skipped out of the bathroom and tugged on her friend's arm.

"Let's go! I'm hungry!"

"Fine, fine, just let me grab my notebook."

"Ugh, hurry!" Stella whined, throwing herself down onto the other girl's bed.

Amelia just rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. Jumping to her feet, Stella followed her out. They waited by the entrance to meet up with Delilah before heading toward the Dining Hall. Just as they reached the entrance, someone called out.

"Amelia!"

The trio turned around and saw a boy with strawberry blond hair walking towards them.

"T-Terrance!" Amelia squeaked, "What's up?"

 _Terrance?_

Both Delilah and Stella gave their friend a knowing look. Stella wiggled her eyebrows and Delilah pursed her lips.

" _Shut up_!" Amelia quietly hissed at them before smiling at the boy.

"I, uh, wanted to talk to you about our project in, um, in our Divination class," the boy replied.

"Ah, okay." Amelia's shoulders sunk slightly. She glanced at her two friends. "Go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"Don't take too long," Stella told her.

"I'll save you a muffin," Delilah added.

The two girls exchanged glances as they walked away. Terrance was clearly nervous about talking to her, even if Amelia couldn't see it. Shrugging, they silently agreed that was a matter to be discussed at a later date. As they got there food, Delilah started a conversation.

"So, is Yukiya feeling better?"

"I think so," she nodded, "he should be in the clear."

 _For a little while, at least..._

"That's good." She smiled up at her. "You were so worried about him. I've never actually talked to Yukiya, but you and Elias seem to like him so much, he must be a pretty good person."

"Yeah, he's one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet," Stella agreed, "Oh! Maybe we should sit with them. It might be awkward at first because Yukiya takes some warming up to, but he's really a good guy."

 _It won't hurt to help him get on better terms with the other students!_

"Alright, then." Delilah nodded. "Let's sit with them."

With that decided, they walked over to where the boys usually sat. Stella was relieved to see Yukiya sitting there with his usual lack of expression. Though maybe it was just her imagination, but he seemed to perk up when he saw her walking over. She smiled brightly at the boys, but she couldn't help noticing the empty place where Luca usually sat.

"Joel!" Stella tried to take her mind off of it. "It feels like it's been forever since we talked!"

"Because you stopped showing up."

"Ah, I missed your bluntness!"

Joel simply rolled his eyes and continued eating.

"Oh, this is Delilah Summers, guys. She's a friend of me and Amelia."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Delilah said with a quiet nod.

"Hello," Elias greeted her.

"Hi," Joel shortly acknowledged her.

Yukiya let out a grunt as he wolfed down his muffin.

Stella let out an awkward chuckle.

"Luca is usually here to liven up the conversation," she explained.

"Ah! I don't mind."

It was then that Amelia returned. She wore a conflicted expression as she sat down. Delilah and Stella exchanged glances.

 _"Let's not ask yet,"_ Stella silently suggested with her eyes.

 _"Good idea,"_ Delilah nodded back.

"You know," Elias began, "our break is coming up."

Stella tilted her head.

"Is it?"

Amelia nodded excitedly.

"Yeah! Oh, and the day before it officially starts, the academy organizes a game," she explained, "The whole school takes part!"

"My sister said they do a different one every year," Delilah added.

"That sounds so fun!" Stella grinned.

"If you don't want to take part, you either stay in the dorm or you go to the auditorium," Elias added.

Stella happily clapped her hands. It sounded like a lot of fun. She felt a pair of eyes watching her and lifted her gaze. She saw Yukiya avert his eyes with pink cheeks. Stella felt her own face beginning to turn red, so she looked away.

 _Oh, how am I supposed to act around him when we're alone?!_

...  
...

"Hello class!" Professor Hart greeted her students, "I know the Professor Tolpin usually teaches Foreign Studies, but she's been feeling under the weather, so here I am!"

She straightened her collar before continuing.

"As you all should know, the kingdom of Filorune is to the west, Maldura is to the east, Culgran is North, and Alyonsa is to the south. These are the closest and largest countries to us. However, there are more kingdoms and countries beyond. Now, can someone tell me some of the major characteristics of the four closest to Gedonelune?"

Elias raised his hand. The professor nodded, and he stood up.

"Filorune is in the desert. Due to periods of intense heat, they have underground structures for people to stay in during the hot seasons. Their kings are allowed to have multiple wives, at once, and each of these women is considered to be a queen. All together, they form the Queens' Council, and they wield as much power as the king, with the ability to overturn his rulings. Our current queen is from this country. Maldura is a matrilineal kingdom, so a queen is always on the throne. They have the most advanced technology and medicines. Unlike our kingdom, women hold most of the positions of power. They also have a high number of spellweavers, so it's believed that that is where they originally come from. Culgran is run by an oligarchy, so they have four people in charge of the country, and they are not married to one another and have no blood relations. In general, people from this country are taller and stronger, and have a strong tolerance against alcohol and poison. The country is high in the mountains, so it's hard to reach, but through magic, we are able to have reasonably good communication. Alyonsa is a kingdom by the sea, and they have had both male and female rulers. It's from there that most shape-shifters are from, or at least are descended from. The country is also known for its superior military power. Each of these kingdoms have their own schools of magic, and we all send exchange students between each school. Recently, Hinomoto and Mo'Tainan, two island kingdoms, have joined this program."

"Well done." Professor Hart smiled at him before her expression turned darker and more serious.

"We all are aware of what happened to the floating kingdom, Lundellia, correct?" She waited for the students to nod their heads, then continued. "It was some years ago, so most of you probably don't know all that much. Lundellia was considered to be the gods' chosen people. It was smaller than Gedonelune, and it floated over the Aeternum Sea on magic alone. People from the kingdom are taller and thought to have a natural grace and elegance to their movements." A bittersweet look filled her eyes. "My best friend was from there." She shook her head and got back on topic. "No one knows the reason why, but five years ago, the civilians of Lundellia fled to other countries and became refugees. Almost all of the people escaped in a few days. It is believed that those who did not get out then are now... deceased. Since then, the floating kingdom is sinking lower and lower. It'll likely be fully submerged in the ocean by the time you graduate."

The class was silent. Professor Hart sighed as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She gave a sad smile to the students.

"Be sure to remind your loved ones how much they mean to you. You never know when the last time you see them will be." She warned them.

* * *

 _"... What else should I have done?"_

 _The two children stared at each other. The smaller one glared at the ground._

 _"Now he's as messed up as us," the first continued, "Aren't we a big, happy family?"_

 _"... Go to hell."_

 _"You and I are already on our way. They decided that for us. We might as well make it worth the trip."_

 _The smaller of the two lunged forward, fists swinging. The larger child fought back as they fell to the ground._

 _"You monster!"_

 _"It's your fault!"_

 _"You're the one who started all this!"_

 _They shouted one last insult at the same time._

 _"I hate you!"_

* * *

 _One last time. If I could see him one last time, I'd try my hardest to save him._

"Stella?" Yukiya whispered.

The girl jumped and turned her head. The boy was watching her with concern.

"I... I'm okay. Just thinking."

She gave him her best smile, but he still had his brow furrowed. Stella looked back ahead, afraid that his kind eye gaze would draw the truth from her lips. Professor Hart gave a light cough before speaking.

"We... We need to move on. To the next topic. Can someone tell me about Mo'Tainan?" She asked.

The lesson continued, but Stella spent most of the class lost in thought. When the bell finally rang, Stella was too deep in her thoughts to notice. A hand suddenly appeared on her shoulder. The girl let out a gasp as she jumped from fright.  
Yukiya's wolf snorted.

"Sorry," the blue haired boy apologized.

"It's fine!" she reassured him, "I should have been paying attention."

She grabbed her bag and stood up.

"Shall we head out?" she asked.

Yukiya gave a light nod, and together, they walked out. As they made their way down the hall, Stella glanced at the wolf. After thinking for a moment, she began speaking in Norisian.

 _"You aren't a wolf, are you?"_ she asked.

 _"You aren't as innocent as you act, are you?"_ the wolf countered.

Stella flinched.

 _"Why did you do what you did to Yukiya?"_

The wolf thought for a moment.

 _"I enjoyed seeing him in pain. It was amusing. My turn to ask a question. What did you do to earn that mark? I can sense its presence."_

 _"... I trusted the wrong people."_ She let out a bitter laugh. _"I might have been better off if something like you found me."_

 _"Perhaps. Perhaps not."_

 _"Why are you keeping Yukiya bound to this contract? I know how these contracts work, you know. We both know you could let him go. Do you still find tormenting him amusing?"_

The wolf glared at her with his golden eyes. Stella suppressed a shiver.

 _"He and I are bound for the rest of his life. I won't allow you, the other, or anyone to harm him."_

 _"So, you're protecting him?"_

 _"... He is a source of amusement for me. That is all."_

Suddenly, Yukiya's hand brushed up against hers. Stella felt her cheeks grow warmer as she glanced up at him. He averted his gaze, his bottom lip sticking out ever so slightly.

 _Is he... Is he pouting?! S-So cute!_

Stella leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You're not playing fair," she huffed.

"Huh?" Yukiya looked confused.

Slipping her arm through his, she smiled up at him.

"You're too cute for your own good."

His face turned red and he stumbled slightly. Stella gulped and grew flustered as she pulled him along.

 _"Stupid girl,"_ the wolf sniffed.

 _"Mean beastie,"_ the girl huffed.

They continued on their way to the dorms, an odd air between the two wizards.

...  
...

"Amelia, I promise not to sneak out... for a while," Stella pushed.

The older girl crossed her arms and glared down at her.

"I just want to check something," the girl continued.

Amelia silently raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be as quick as possible!"

The older girl remained silent.  
Stella hugged the girl tightly.

"I'll teach you how to make Terrance fall head over heels for you!"

Amelia stiffened and gulped.  
Stella smirked.

"His heart won't stand a chance. I know you buy those magazines, but that's different from getting actual lessons, right?"

Amelia remained silent as she thought.

"This is pretty important to you, isn't it?" she asked after a few moments.

Stella nodded.

The older girl let out a sigh.

"Fine," she groaned, "but you're back before the sun rises."

Stella hugged her again.

"Thanks!"

With her roommate's help, she climbed out the window undetected. The sun hadn't quite set yet, but the house mother had already seen her walk in, so she wouldn't be expecting her to return at a later time. The girl had to be quick. The third mage would be out patrolling as soon as the sun set. Taking a deep breath, she began her journey to the Detention Chamber. When she got there, she carefully made her way down the dark corridor. She remembered the correct path from when she was taking care of Yukiya.  
By the time she got to the cells, she imagined it was already pretty dark outside. She could sense one other person at the end of the hall.

"Luca?" she softly called out, "Are you there?"

She heard movement.

"Is that my lady knight in shining armor?" the green-haired boy called out.

"I think I'm more of a lady spy," Stella replied, running up to his cell.

Luca let out a small sigh as he smiled at her.

"I'm really glad you're okay. They said your were, but..." He closed his eyes for moment, then continued. " I... I heard you screaming. I tried to turn back, but the doorway was sealed by magic. I tried to dispel, Stella, I really did. I wanted to help you, but..."

The girl smiled at him.

"It's okay, Luca. Did you find what you were looking for?"

He nodded, and his lips quivered as he smiled.

"Thank you, really," he said quietly.

Stella let out a happy chuckle and handed him the packaged muffin from earlier. He smiled at her as he took it. They spoke for a little bit. Stella didn't ask about what he'd learned. If he wanted to tell her, he knew he could. Besides, she wanted to focus on helping Yukiya. After a while, Stella stood up.

"Well, I should head back now."

"Alright. Thanks for coming to see me."

"Hey," Stella began after thinking for a moment, "pay me back by attending classes. For a while at least."

The green haired boy chuckled.

"Fine," he whined, "but only for a while."

Stella giggled as she headed out.

She managed to escape the Detention Chamber and get outside without being detected. However as she was making her way back to the girls' dorm, the sound of footsteps caught her attention. Just as panic began to fill her chest, they turned the other way. Stella let out a sigh of relief as she ran back to her dorm.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" she called up to her room's window.

She heard her roommate recite a spell, and the girl felt herself being lifted into the air. After she was set down in her room, Amelia climbed into bed.

"You better keep your promise," she sniffed.

"Of course," Stella giggled back, "Goodnight."

"'Night."

Stella silently got ready for bed, trying not to disturb her friend's rest any more than she had to.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay! My teachers decided to pile up work for me all at once, so I haven't had much time to sleep much less write. However, I should be able to upload quite a bit during this week.**

 **Thanks for reading, and have a nice day/night!**


	20. Sharing Burdens

A few days passed, and Stella kept her promise to Amelia. Every day after class, she taught her how to flirt and charm. It was a good excuse to avoid being alone with Yukiya. Ever since she'd been in his dorm, she felt weird being alone with him. So, she threw herself into her lessons of love. Delilah helped out, and the three formed practice sessions. Delilah would wear a strawberry blonde wig, and Stella would play as a third party coach.

"I said bat your eyelashes, Amelia!" Stella snapped, "Not try to fly with them!"

"This is so weird, though!" Amelia whined, "I'm not used to this sort of thing! What's even the point of it?"

Stella groaned.

"Let me show you."

She sat down next to the costumed Delilah. Lightly pushing the younger girl with her shoulder, but making it look like an accident, she began.

"Hey, Terrance! How's your day been?"

"It's been alright. How about you, Amelia?" Delilah asked, playing along.

Stella lightly pursed her lips and rested her head on her hand.

"It's been _exhausting_!" she replied, "But I feel a bit better now."

"Why's that?"

Stella sat up straighter and leaned in. he made sure her and her partner's breath were mingling, and they could feel each other's body heat.

"Cause I got to talk to you of course!"

She batted her eyelashes, and in spite of her attempts to suppress a blush, Delilah's cheeks turned red. Stella let out a cute giggle and stood up, moving to walk away.

"Wait, Amelia!" Delilah suddenly cried out.

"Yes, Terrance?" Stella asked, dramatically turning around.

"Please, stay with me, if not for just a moment longer!" Delilah pleaded, grabbing onto Stella's arm.

"Oh, _Terrance_!" Stella gasped, "You need only say the word!"

Stella slung her arms around Delilah's neck, and the younger girl made a move as though she were about to dip-kiss her. Grabbing a notebook off the table, Stella hid their faces. The two began making obviously fake kissing noises.

"Okay! I get it!" Amelia shouted, her face turning red, "You don't need to make fun of me!"

"But Amelia," Delilah cried out, "You should be prepared for any situation!"

"You never know when a guy will pull you in for a kiss!" Stella added, standing back up.

Amelia looked annoyed.

"He's not gonna kiss me for asking about his day!"

"He might if you bat your eyelashes..."

"STELLA!"

"Just sayin'..."

...  
...

"You have to do it!" Stella hissed.

"Why?" Amelia snapped back.

"You want him to fall for you, right?"

"Stop saying it out loud!"

"Well you do, don't you?! And you better _bat those luxurious lashes_!"

Amelia bit her lip and stared at the ground, her face already turning pink.

"Don't do that," Delilah huffed, "you'll mess up your lip gloss."

The oldest of the three friends huffed and pulled at her braided hair. Delilah smacked her hand and scolded her again. Stella groaned and pushed them towards the other table. Delilah practically dragged Amelia the rest of the way. Stella watched as they asked to sit down and sighed with relief when Amelia took to seat next to Terrance.

"Isn't it sweet watching young love blossom?" a voice whispered in her ear.

Gasping at the familiar voice, Stella whipped her head around. There she found Luca leaning forward, his chin practically resting on her shoulder.

"Luca!" she gasped, then gave him a quick hug, "They've finally let you out?"

"Ah, this is the warmest welcome I've ever had!" Luca chuckled, "They should've let me out sooner. Hey, next time do I get a kiss?"

"Don't push it, Casanova," the girl laughed.

Luca straightened back up.

"So, what's with Amelia getting all dolled up?"

"Seduction."

"Ah, a student of yours?"

"Yes. Hey, maybe you could work from the other side and teach the guy to sweep her off her feet."

"Meh, too much work. Besides, Amelia's more of the type to wear the pants, and Terrance is too awkward to dare to do something as forward as _flirting_."

"So, you'll teach Elias to court someone instead?"

Luca went silent for a few minutes.

"Maybe I could Terrance a few pointers. You know, shove him in the right direction?"

Stella laughed and looked up.

"Shall we go get breakfast?"

"Sure, but don't you wanna watch?" he asked, following her into the Dining Hall.

"It'll be fine. That's why Delilah's with her."

They continued talking back and forth as they got in line.

...

* * *

...

A pair of sudden voices caught Yukiya's attention. Lifting his head, he was surprised to find Luca walking over with Stella. They were laughing and talking causually, their arms occasionally brushing up against one another. A cold, dark feeling began to pool in his stomach. He couldn't help thinking about how she seemed to be avoiding him lately.

 _Did I cross the line before? I didn't mean to make her uncomfortable, I just... I couldn't help myself! She looked so...I don't know... I just got an overwhelming urge to kiss her... At least I didn't kiss her lips..._

He thought back to when they were in his dorm. There was something intimately beautiful about seeing her from that angle, with her black hair wildly spread out across the bed, and her voice laughing in such a carefree way. His face began to feel hot just thinking about it. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind's eye of the image.

 _But... I'm the only who's gotten to see her like that, right?_

The idea of him being the only one to have seen that sight made him feel better, if not in a guilty way.

"Geez, Yukiya. You're really concentrating on something," Luca observed, "I've never seen you look so focused!"

"I haven't forgiven you yet."

Luca drew back at the sudden severity in the boy's voice. Stella gasped, and Elias' eyes widened. Luca soon recovered and wore his classic smirk.

"What a loyal knight you have, Stella. If I were you I'd be swooning."

Out of the corner of his eye, Yukiya saw Stella avert her gaze. A sudden wave of anxiety swept though his heart. However, before anyone could say anything else, the letters arrived. An excited look filled the girl's eyes and she excitedly opened her letter. It was smaller than usual, but was soon followed by a letter the regular, stuffed size. A light gasp escaped Stella's lips. An odd look filled her eyes. It was a dark, and almost fearful look.

"What's wrong?" Yukiya asked, feeling worried.

The girl shook her head and smiled.

"It's nothing," she replied, and proceeded to open the other letter.

Yukiya carefully watched as her eyes filled with warmth and nostalgia. He felt a sense of relief as he watched her mood lighten.

"You're not obvious _at all_ ," Luca whispered to him.

Yukiya glared at him, putting as much hatred as he could muster into his gaze. Luca simply laughed and stole a piece of bacon from Elias' tray. The golden haired cried out indignantly, but Yukiya was too busy thinking about the green haired boy's words.

 _What exactly am I being obvious about?_

...  
...

The day's class was to be taught by a Professor Abdalla. Yukiya heard Stella let out a sigh of relief, either grateful it wasn't Professor Schyuler or because she saw Luca sitting at his seat. He wasn't sure which it was. The professor gave a polite nod to the students.

"Today, we shall continue our lesson on Magic & Genetics," she began, "As a recap, we discussed how magic is usually genetic, but has been known to randomly show up in non-magic bloodlines. A wizard can be born with the ability to use magic, or it can develop later. Today, we will be focusing on a topic that I find to be extremely interesting: twins. When one twin can use magic, the other can too. There has been a great amount of research done on this subject, and many theories have been formed, not all necessarily proven, but still highly supported. One is that they will share any special abilities, like spellsinging or time magic. Another is that they have better endurance when it comes to using their magic, meaning that their magic won't run out as soon as the rest of ours will. Deodatus Taggart was the first to come up with the theory that twins are the result of a soul splitting while in the mother's womb. They develop as separate beings, but are connected through magic. Because of this, magic can be transferred between the two, so if a set of twins so decided, one of the two could use an amount of magic equal to that of two average wizards."

Yukiya glanced up and saw the girl watching the woman with great intensity, eating up every word. He sighed and back to look out the window.

"As impressive as this may sound, there is also a terrible downside. In the rare occurrence that a wizard breaks the law and practices dark magic, they may earn a mark of darkness. As you should have learned in one of Professor Schuyler's lectures, a mark of darkness is a symbol that a wizard gets when they practice certain dark spells. This mark is permanent, and will remain there even if the wizard never uses dark magic again. There's a great deal more to these symbols, but that is not what today's lesson is about. Now, if a twin practices dark magic and earns a mark of darkness, their sibling receives the mark as well. The sibling will also suffer from the symptoms of practicing dark magic, though to a lesser degree."

Yukiya watched as the girl flinched and clenched her fists. He narrowed his eyes and began to focus on her. She began furiously writing in her notes. Suddenly, a ball of paper came flying at him. It hit his cheek before dropping to onto the desk. Yukiya flinched and looked to the direction it'd come from. Luca smirked at him and stuck out his tongue.

"Mr. Orlem," Professor Abdalla said suddenly, "you would be wise to pay attention and stop harassing your classmates."

"Sorry, sorry," Luca apologized, leaning back in his seat, "didn't mean to interrupt."

The woman's eyebrow twitched, but before she could continue, whispers broke out at the back of the classroom.

"You'd think he'd learn!"

"Does he want to get bad luck again?"

"What do you think Yukiya will do?"

The sound of a chair being loudly pushed back silenced their whispering. Stella turned around in her seat with an expression unlike anything Yukiya had seen before. Her expression was cold and her eyes were dark.

"Knock it off," she growled, her voice sounding as harsh as she looked.

"To put it bluntly, yes," the professor broke in, "I will not tolerate the spreading of rumors, or anymore interruptions to my lesson. If anyone wishes to go against my word, I'll send you to supplementary classes. Understood?"

A chorus of "Yes, ma'ams" filled the air. After watching them for a few moments, the professor continued her lesson.

...

* * *

...

The bell marking the end of class rang. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Stella drifted off in thought.

 _Maybe I should check out the library? There has to be something there about-_

"Stella?" Yukiya called out.

The girl jumped and whirled around.

"Y-Yes?" she asked.

He awkwardly glanced at the ground before speaking.

"Do you... want to... go to the lake?" he hesitantly asked.

Stella lightly blushed and scratched her cheek.

"I... Amelia has her les-"

Suddenly, a magic note came flying in. It was addressed to her from Delilah. It was short, telling her they wouldn't need to meet up, as things had apparently gone well that morning. Lifting her head, she looked the boy in the eyes.

"Alright. Let's go."

As they made their way to their spot by the lake, Stella realized the wolf wasn't with them. She was a bit surprised he was off on his own, considering what the wolf had said yesterday, but she felt more comfortable with him being absent. The girl was still annoyed with him. By the time they got there, neither had said a word. They sat down on a fallen tree.

"So..." Stella began, "It's been a while since we've hung out... just the two of us..."

"Yeah..."

The girl played with the fabric of her skirt, unsure of what to talk about.

 _What do we usually talk about? AH! We usually talk about..._

"I'm sorry."

Stella's head snapped up and she stared at the boy. He was looking at the ground with a apologetic expression.

"What for?" she asked, tilting her head.

"For... my dorm... when I..."

Stella grabbed her cheeks as they turned red. Yukiya glanced at her, then looked back at the ground.

"I... crossed a line, but..." He looked up at her with pitiful eyes. "... I'm sorry I make you so uncomfortable..."

"What? What are you talking about?" Stella questioned, feeling baffled, "Do you... Do you think I'm avoiding you?"

Yukiya tilted his head, a confused expression on his face.

"Aren't you?"

"Oh, Yukiya," the girl sighed, "I'm sorry! I guess you would think I'm avoiding you, but it wasn't intentional. I was just helping Amelia with... _something_. Anyway, why do you think I'm avoiding you?"

"I thought... you might be mad at me..." he began, then his eyes took on a warm glow, "You're not mad at me?"

"You thought I was mad because you kissed?" she clarified, then began giggling as the boy's face turned red, "I wouldn't get mad at you over that. Now, if you were just some guy, I probably would've slapped you!"

He seemed to relax at her tone. He looked at her with kind eyes. Stella grinned and cupped his face with her hands.

"You finally looked at me," she said quietly, "you wouldn't meet my eyes at breakfast."

He stared at her in surprise. A thoughtful look suddenly fell over his face.

"What happened this morning?"

The girl visibly stiffened.

 _So, he noticed?_

She brightly smiled.

"Oh, my brother, Lucy, said La Magnifique will be here a few days after break begins! They'll be in a little ways from town, so I can stay there for a while! Yukiya, you should co-"

"What about the other letter?"

Stella swallowed her words. She stood up, keeping her back towards him.

"It's nothing to worry about! Come on, we should head back soon."

She moved to walk up the path, but a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. Yukiya stood behind her, keeping her in place.

"Why do you do that?" he asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" the girl questioned, still refusing to face him.

"You hide the important things... You don't have to tell me everything but-"

"Why do you care?" Her voice kept getting quieter with each response.

"I want to get to know you, like you did me."

"I've told you about Lucy and La Magnifique. That's-"

"Not everything. Whenever dark magic is brought up, you act strangely." He felt her hand twitch. "Like now."

"You're imagining it."

"I'm not."

The girl began to tremble.

 _Stop! Please stop!_

"I want you to trust me as much as I trust you. You learned about my... burdens. Why won't you share yours with me?"

"Because!"

She couldn't keep a sob out of her voice. She was shaking a great deal now.

"You're a good, kind person. Why-"

"I'm not!" she shouted, "Everyone says that! But... but I'm not... I've hurt people, I've done horrible things to the people I love... I've lied, I've stolen... I-If anyone here is wicked, it's me!"

It was then that a sudden warmth enveloped her body. There was a firm gentleness about the way he held her. It made her feel safe.

"You're wrong," Yukiya quietly stated, "you're my... my hero... You-I... You've reminded me of what it means to be alive, to feel."

Something hot began to drip from her eyes. One of the drops landed on the boy's hand. He tightened his grip and rested his forehead against the back of her head.

"... I don't mean to upset you," the boy quietly told her, "I just... I want to be closer to you."

"Yukiya..."

 _You're too kind for me..._

After a moment, he made her turn around and face him. He froze when he saw the tears falling across her cheeks. He looked sad as he wiped her cheeks.

"You kept chasing after me. I'll do the same to you."

At his words, Stella stared at him for a full minute before she let out a small chuckle. She gave him a bittersweet smile.

"You better keep up," she warned.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. She rested her cheek on his chest and softly spoke. She felt him stroking her back with his hand.

"Alright. I'll try... to let you in. But you have to promise, swear to the gods, that you won't hate me."

"I never could."

She gave him a light squeeze and spoke into his chest.

"To prove it, I'll let you ask one question. I'll answer... I'll be truthful and I won't try... try to hide anything..."

For a few moments, they just stood there. Stella tried to prepare herself for answering whatever question he'd ask. Finally, he spoke.

"What's your favorite color?"

Stella pulled back and stared up at him. Yukiya wore his usual calm expression as he waited for his answer.

"Um... My favorite color is... orange. Not just any orange, a golden orange. It... reminds me of the sunrise."

"Golden orange..." he quietly repeated.

"Of all the things you could ask," she began, tilting her head, "why that? You could have asked about the letter, or what I was hiding, or... anything!"

He looked into her eyes as he traced her cheek with his hand.

"I... I want you to tell me when you're ready."

 _Oh, Yukiya..._

Biting her lip, Stella gave him a tight hug. She pressed her lips to his cheek and stayed there for a moment. When she pulled back, both of their faces were lightly flushed. They smiled at each other for a few more moments before heading back.

...  
...

Stella was sitting on her bed, reading over the letter she'd gotten that morning. She still couldn't figure out how an envelope with nothing but the recipient's name was allowed in. She thought it had to have the sender's information as well.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the door slamming open. Stuffing the letter into her notebook, Stella opened it to the page with the day's lesson's notes. She watched as Amelia practically danced to her bed and flopped down. Stella giggled and jumped up. She threw herself down next to her friend.

"So, I take it things went well?" she asked.

"He said I looked pretty," Amelia replied, "he was really flustered, but he said I look pretty everyday."

"Aw, what a sweetheart!"

"Yeah! We're still working together on a class project together, so we see each other every day. Stella, I think... I think I can do this."

"Hell yeah!" Stella whooped.

The two girls discussed a plan for Amelia's attempt to steal the boy's heart. Amelia pulled out some of her magazines, and the pair began sifting through. After a while, Stella yawned, and they decided to continue another day. They'd also invite Delilah.

As Stella laid her head down upon her pillow. She thought back to what she and Yukiya had discussed earlier.

 _Opening up... I've never opened up to someone about the... wicked things I've done, but... I think if it's Yukiya... I think I could do it. I think... I think I want to do it. Just... don't let him hate me for it..._

* * *

 **Woohoo! Another update!**

 **I'm sorry if this chapter has been done awkwardly, I'm trying to develop the plot for... some upcoming action and drama.  
(God, I hope I'm doing this right...)**

 **Anyway, we'll get to meet Lucio and La Magnifique soon!**

 **Please leave reviews!  
Have a nice day/night!**


	21. Setting the Stage

The girls finally had the same day off. It had been hard finding a time where they could meet up outside of school days, as each girl was in a different grade and class. Wanting to go out and celebrate, the girls went to Professor Hart to see what she could do. She allowed them to go with her into town to "help her with errands". When they got to their destination, she set them loose, warning them to meet her at the fountain at 2.

"Ah! I haven't gotten a chance to look around!" Stella called.

"Calm down, girl," Amelia sighed, "you'd swear this was the first time you've ever seen a town."

"I think it's nice see her so happy," Delilah replied.

Stella whirled back around to face her friends. Since they didn't have to wear their uniforms, Stella was finally able to see her friends' street clothes. Amelia wore a light green babydoll dress and a pair of brown wedges with her hair pulled up into a messy bun. Delilah had her hair up in a pair of braids, with a pair of pink shorts and a white tunic shirt. Stella had chosen to wear her hair down, with a flowing skirt and a slim-fit cropped shirt.

 _We all look so cute!_

Running back, she slipped her hands through her friends' arms, and together they headed to brunch. The shop had recently opened up, and Amelia was excited to go. Some of her other friends had gone and said that all the waiters and waitresses were really cute.  
They sat down at a table outside, and soon a waiter took their orders. As they waited for their food, the three girls began to chat.

"So, how are things going with Terrance?" Stella asked.

"Well," Amelia began with a blush, "I _think_ it's going well. Vivian said we looked cute together, and he turned into a tomato-faced, stuttering mess. It was adorable!"

"How sweet!" Delilah cooed.

"Well, Delilah, do _you_ have someone you like?" Amelia asked.

At this, the younger girl turned bright red. Intrigued by her reaction, the two girls leaned in.

"W-Well, I... I guess," she muttered, "But I don't think s-I mean, they even know I exist..."

"Then make your presence known!" Stella cried out.

"That's easy for you to say! You already have someone!"

 _Huh?_

Tilting her head, she stared at the younger girl. Amelia and Delilah stared at her in utter shock.

"You have Yukiya!" Amelia all but shouted, "Aren't you two dating yet?!"

"The tension between you two is suffocating!" Delilah added.

Clapping her hands over her red cheeks, Stella began babbling.

"No, no! Haha, he's just a friend! Ha! There's nothing between, ha, us! He, haha, doesn't see me like that!...Ha!"

As Stella babbled on, her two friends simply raised their eyebrows, not convinced in the least. Eventually, they let it go and the three continued their conversation.

...

* * *

...

Luca stretched his arms as he made his way through the busy town. He had barely avoided Klaus in his escape earlier. The green haired boy shrugged. He had somewhere to be. As he walked past a shop, he heard a set of familiar voices.

"I'd definitely give my first kiss to him," Amelia replied.

"Ah, you haven't had your first kiss either?" asked the younger of the Peters sisters.

"Nope! What about you, Stella?"

At this, Luca's ears pricked up. He would never _dare_ to do something as low as eavesdropping, but the shop was new and he hadn't brought any breakfast. Besides, he wanted to pick something up. That was the only reason sat down a few tables away from the girls.

"I... I've actually already had my first kiss."

 _I can't say I'm shocked, but I still wasn't expecting that._

The two girls began squealing as they leaned in, bombarding her with questions.

"Okay, okay!" Stella huffed, "It's one of the guys from La Magnifique. He's a good guy, but he's been cursed to look like the last person he exchanged a kiss with. He has no way of ever going back to his original form, that is, unless his curse is broken."

"H-How long ago was that?" Delilah asked, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Oh, we were thirteen. We weren't actually _together_ per se, but we thought we might've liked each other. We were wrong, but we're still good friends."

"Was that was your last kiss?" Amelia questioned, curiosity and excitement dancing in her eyes.

Stella scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.

"Well... there was the one from one village, a nobleman's kid from another, and then-," Here, the girl's face went up in flames, "Never mind! That doesn't count!"

"What?! What doesn't count?!"

 _Ooh, sounds interesting!_

Stella buried her face in her hands, shaking her head. Amelia reached out and shook her shoulders.

"You answer us! Who was it?! What happened?!"

"I-It doesn't count! He needed his medicine, but he was too sick to swallow it!"

"Was it... Yukiya?" Delilah quietly asked.

Stella squawked and dropped her head on the table with a bang. She began talking, but her voice had become muffled, so Luca couldn't hear what she was saying.

When it became clear that he wasn't going to be able to gather anymore information, Luca picked up his things and left. There was a noticeable lightness to his steps as he made his way to his favorite art supply shop.

...

* * *

...

By the time the girls got back, classes had just ended. Waving goodbye to her friends, Stella headed towards the lake with a small bag in her hand. Today, as soon as he got there, Stella was going to tell him about her childhood. Just a bit.

"Worried! Worried!"

The fat wing rabbit suddenly materialized in front of where she was sitting.

"Ah I'm alright," she reassured him, hugging the magical creature tightly, "Hey, do you have a name?"

"No! No!"

"Can I give you one? I feel weird just referring to you as 'the wing rabbit'."

"Name! Whoohoo!"

Stella giggled before she closed her eyes in thought. For a few minutes, she bounced around some ideas. Finally, she opened her eyes.

"How about Antonio?"

"Too long! Mouthful!"

Stella gave n understanding nod.

"Then just Tonio?"

"Like! Like! Eep! Wolf!"

With that last word, he vanished. Turning her head, Stella found Yukiya's wolf. Not far behind, Yukiya was walking over, looking a touch out of breath. She patted the spot next her and waited for the boy to sit down.

Once he was seated, and she opened the bag. She offered the wolf a dog biscuit, only for him to sniff as though he were offended. Rolling her eyes, Stella set it down on the ground near him. Then, she pulled out a cranberry croissant and handed it to the boy.

"We went to a new cafe, and these scones were really good! I thought you might like one."

"Thanks," Yukiya said quietly as he took it.

As he was eating, Stella began.

"There are... I've hidden things from a lot of people. I've hidden a lot of things from Lucio. Very important things."

Yukiya said nothing as he waited for her to continue.

"I know I'll have to tell him these things eventually, but it seems I'm going to have to sooner than I expected. The letter... it... I have to tell him as soon as I can, but he... Oh, god Yukiya! If he hates me for it- I- Oh, god I messed up! I kept that stuff hidden from him for his protection..."

A sudden warmth enveloped her. Looking up, Yukiya was looking down at her with concern. Stella couldn't help giggling.

"You would seem much more mature if it weren't for the crumbs on your face," she told him.

His cheeks reddened, ever so slightly as she reached up and brushed his face clean. Then, she pulled out of his embrace.

"What are you keeping from him?" Yukiya asked.

"That... I... A lot of things happened, and he was only a toddler when we left. I wanted him to grow up with more freedom than I did."

Yukiya furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Let me explain," Stella began with a light sigh, "My mother and grandmother were traveling apothecaries. Neither could use magic, but they could still make some potions. One of their rarest and most potent ingredients, Fontanesia Auricoma, only bloomed in a distant region, right in between the borders of Gedonelune and Filorune. Only one village lies there. We'll call it the Village of the Evil ones."

"Village of the Evil Ones?" Yukiya echoed, looking concerned.

"Yes, the Village of the Evil Ones is an odd group of people. They still hold the same beliefs as those who lived here over five hundred years ago."

"So they-"

"They knew wizards could be good," she interrupted, "but they could only be good or evil. If they were good, they put the village before themselves and their family. If they didn't, they were evil. And evil wizards..."

Stella stopped here, her face growing pale. She squeezed her eyes shut. Yukiya lightly grabbed her shoulder, and she was pulled back.

"S-Sorry..." she murmured, then shook her head. "Evil wizards were punished. The Village of the Evil Ones also believed that snakes and the color red were evil, and that demons were waiting to attack them just around the corner."

"That sounds horrible..."

"That's not even the worst of it," Stella said with a defeated chuckle, "my father, he fled his home in Filorune. He... He never got the chance to tell us why... Anyway, he could barely speak English, and by the time he crossed the border, he was starving and sick. With wine red eyes, and the ability to use magic, he was seen as a threat. The elders of the village decided that he was possessed and ordered the villagers to ignore him, to let him die."

Again she stopped, clenching her fist. The boy reached out and held her hand. After a few deep breaths, she looked up and continued.

"My mother and grandmother returned to the village for their second time of the year, and came across my father. They nursed him back to health, and my grandmother taught him English. After learning a bit of his story, they invited him to join them in their work, and my father quickly agreed. Fast forward a few years, and my mother and father had fallen in love. When they all returned the Village of the Evil Ones, the villagers were shocked. In their eyes, an evil, demonic wizard had seduced my mother and threatened my grandmother. However, they didn't do much to them, as it was these same people bringing them powerful medicine. It all got worse when my grandmother died. People still weren't cruel to my mother, since she was still the one bringing them medicine, but they were a lot colder and harsher."

Stella glanced up at the boy and snorted. She didn't understand how he'd managed to get crumbs in his hair, but she smiled as she brushed it out.

"That's all for today," she said suddenly, standing up

"What?" Yukiya furrowed his brow.

"Silly," Stella chuckled offering her hand, "haven't you heard the story A Thousand and One Nights?"

Yukiya shook his head as he took her hand. They began walking up the path as the girl explained.

"Well, to make it short, a king keeps executing the women he sleeps with after a single night because of his deceased wife's infidelity. Eventually, he finds a girl named Scheherazade. Every night she would begin a new story, but wouldn't finish until the next night. The king, curious to see how the stories would end. This went on for 1,001 nights, and by that time, he'd fallen in love with her. He granted her a pardon, and she was made queen."

"I'm not going to kill you if you finish your story."

"No, but at least this way you'll still look forward to seeing me."

The boy was about to ask about her comment, but she spoke up before he could.

"Besides, I'm just setting the stage for what's to come. Get yourself emotionally prepared!"

With that, Stella began to hum and walk faster. Yukiya quickened his pace as the wolf licked the crumbs from his snout and casually followed.

...  
...

Stella curled up under her blankets. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down.

 _No going back now..._

* * *

 **Sorry I took sso long with this update! I was trying to figure out how to tell Stella's story without seeming like I'm rushing to get it out all at once. Oh, and pretty soon, I'll be going back to the previous chapters and to make some changes. They'll be small and subtle, but they'll offer some clues. Anyway, the next chapter will shed some more light on certain subjects.**

 **Thanks for reading!  
Please leave reviews and critiques!**

 **Have a nice day/night!**


	22. Smoke and Fire

_Fire and smoke._  
 _Screams and the smell of burning flesh._  
 _Hundreds of eyes coldly looking on._

 _The salt of tears making the wounds burn._

 _"Tell me," a voice whispered, "do you still think no one is completely evil?"_

 _A throat too ragged to respond, a body too damaged to move._

 _"Do you think they have more of a right to live than us?" the voice continued, "Look at what they've done to us!"_

 _The body lying on the ground made a wheezing noise, as though they were trying to speak._

 _"Well, I don't. And you know what? I don't think you do either."_

* * *

Stella sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes flew open. Placing a hand over her chest, she tried to calm the thundering of her heart. She took a shaky breath just as her roommate walked out of the bathroom. However, as the orange haired girl opened her mouth to say good morning, a sudden commotion from outside interrupted her.

"Woah!"

"What is that?"

"S-Should we tell the professors?"

Amelia stopped brushing her hair and exchanged a confused look with Stella. The girls stopped what they were doing and opened their room's curtains. Outside, students were crowding, staring at something in the sky. Carefully leaning out, the girls stared in mute shock at a large cloud of smoke billowed up from the forest.

"It... It looks like it's not too far from town!" Amelia realized, then turned to look at her roommate. "Hey, what do y- Stella?"

* * *

 _"Thy evil blood shall be purged from our world."_

 _"Demons! Demons!"_

* * *

"Stella!" Amelia shouted.

"Gah!" Stella nearly hit the ceiling from how high she jumped.

"Calm down! You looked freaked out and I was just trying to find out if you were alright."

Stella stared at her wide eyed for a few moments before smiling.

"Did I ever tell you what my greatest fear is?" she asked.

"What? No, why?" Amelia tilted her head.

"Fire. Small amounts are okay, like a torch, but even that makes me feel anxious."

"What-"

"Yet despite my fear, I know how to recognize smoke. A normal fire can be white, grey, black, and sometimes brown. Now, what color does that smoke look like?"

Amelia furrowed her brow in confusion before she stared at the smoke.

"It looks gre- No, it's blue! That means it's magic. But if it's giving off smoke, then it's more likely to be a potion than it is to be a spell."

Now it was Stella's turn to be confused.

"Potions are what I'm best at." Amelia smiled, then she narrowed her eyes in thought. "I can't be certain, but that's probably a potion you can buy in town. They're used for smoke signals, though."

"Huh. Weird."

"Sure is."

Amelia stood up with a sigh.

"Well, I feel better having an idea of what that is. I have to go study for a test, so I'll see you later, okay?"

"Alright, good luck!"

Stella watched her roommate walk out. After a few minutes, Stella began getting ready for the day. As she was tying her ribbon in front of the mirror, an envelope caught her eye. Biting her lip, the girl debated whether or not to open it.  
Walking over, she snatched it up and opened it.

 _The Light knows the Star,  
but dos he know the Sun,  
as well? I wonder.  
We'll find out soon enough._

The letter wasn't signed, nor did it mention anyone by name. Stella felt a ghost of a smile. The Sun had been cautious when they were young, and it seemed that hadn't changed. Still, she hoped that the person she once considered to be her closest and dearest ally had changed in other ways. Folding the letter back into its envelope, Stella bit her lip.

 _Somehow, some way, I'll make it all up to you. I promise._

She carefully placed the envelope into the drawer of her bedside table.

 _Even if it makes everyone hate me, I'll make it up to you._

Stella grabbed her bag as she walked out of her room.

...

* * *

...

"Alright, everyone!" Professor Hart called out, "Take your seats."

The students did as she asked. Once they were all seated, she began speaking.

"Now, many of you saw the large amount of smoke this morning. I just wanted to let you know it was nothing to worry about. It was simply a bunch of kids from town playing around with spells. The issue has been resolved."

Despite her words, Stella still felt odd about it. Even so, she couldn't go see for herself. A sudden snicker snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she found Luca smirking with a knowing glint in his green eyes. It was then that she remembered Amelia telling her that Luca dealt in information.

 _Maybe I should talk to him..._

"Well, with that sorted out, let's begin today's lesson." The professor smiled. "Professor Tolpin has decided to take the rest of this week off, so until she's back I will be teaching Foreign Studies. We'll be discussing the two island countries that are now part of our exchange student program, Hinomoto and Mo'Tainan. Hinomoto lies in the north eastern part of the ocean. Rather than using wands, wizards there use magic by tracing Hinomoto characters in the air, and also occasionally utilizing magic circles or ofuda. When Hinomoto first formed, it was a feudal system, meaning local rulers, either powerful families or military warlords, dominated the land, while the emperor was merely a figurehead and not a significant political presence. The peasants paid rice and livestock to the samurai, who protected the peasants in return. The samurai served under a general, in exchange for land, and the general served and supported the warlord, while the warlord gave them land to control. However, over the years, the emperor has gained a power and become significant political figure."

Stella let out a small sigh. It was too bad Hinomoto was an island. La Magnifique couldn't travel over the ocean.

"Mo'Tainan is a collection of small islands. Now, it's the type of casting used here that's really fascinating to me. They use tattoos, which are known to us as magic circles, to have abilities that many wizards do not have. With the tattoo, a Mo'Tainan wizard does not need a wand nor an incantation in order to cast a spell. Though they can use a wand or incantation if they so choose. Their leaders are chosen in a unique way. Each town chooses a representative to compete with the other representatives from the same district to represent that district. The champions from the districts then go on to compete to represent the island. Once each island has a representative, they go through the final trials to determine who is the best suited to lead the country for the next five years. However, even those who don't pass the trials can be given other positions in the government based on their skills, like head of diplomacy, head of commerce, or head of the military. Both of these countries are beautiful, so if you ever get the chance, you should take a chance to visit. We've got an exchange student from each of these countries, and both are in Vil Ingeniosus."

Suddenly, Luca raised his hand. Professor Hart nodded for him to proceed.

"I know this is from our last Foreign Studies class, but I wanted to know a bit more about Lundellia."

"Ah, well it is an... interesting situation. What would you like to know?" she asked.

"Are you sure _no one_ knows what happened? I mean, someone must have know _something_."

"Well..." Professor Hart furrowed her brow. "I've heard that there was a coup that went wrong. I'm afraid I don't know the details. I'd imagine only a very small amount of people know the actual story. We may never know what happened in the kingdom of Lundellia, or why it's now sinking into the sea."

"But what about the refugees? The people who are now living in all the other kingdoms," Luca pushed.

"Those who've talked about it don't know much either," the woman replied, "Can I ask why you're suddenly so curious?"

"Hey, this is an academy, right? I thought I'd try to learn something." The boy threw his hands like he was surrendering.

Professor Hart raised an eyebrow. Stella didn't blame her. Luca didn't seem like the type to ask about trivial matters, not unless he was trying to find out something. The professor sighed before continuing.

"Alright, we'll leave it at that. Now, far north there are..."

...  
...

"Close your eyes."

"Why?" Stella asked.

"Please?" Yukiya sweetly tilted his head.

 _T-Too cute!_

Stella felt her cheeks turn red as she let out a small huff.

"Fine, then."

Closing her eyes, she listened as Yukiya moved about. She had no idea of what he was doing.

"Shall I... Shall I continue my story?" she asked.

"... If you want to..."

 _Maybe it'll be easier since I can't see him..._

"Where did I leave off yesterday?"

"Your grandmother had just passed."

"Ah, right. So, my parents kept the business going, traveling, selling, buying, trading potions and medicines and the like. Eventually, they... they had... t-tw-twins..."

She stopped to take a deep breath.

"No one knows that," she laughed, "That there were three of us, not just two."

Yukiya was silent, but Stella knew he was trying to be ind by letting her go at her own pace.

"Yukiya... I haven't seen my twin brother for over nine years. I... He... I think I'm going to see him very soon, and I'm... I feel relieved and terrified." She felt the prick of tears. "Oh, but Yukiya! I haven't told Lucio! H-He doesn't know he has a brother, he doesn't know about the Village of the Evil Ones! Oh, gods, as far as he knows, he was born looking the way he does now!"

A sudden warmth pressed against her forehead. Stella bit her lip, not ready to open her eyes.

"If it's too much-"

"No! No, please let me speak..." She took a deep breath. "I held back information from Lucio because I wanted him to be safe... I wanted him to live a free, fun, _safe_ life. I travele around, I stole, and I manipulated people to keep him safe. I was going to wait until I was sure he could survive without me."

"Without you?"

"Once he hears what I've been hiding, I think he'll... he'll hate me. And Yukiya, I don't know if I could survive that. He's the only reason I'm alive, the reason I didn't... the reason I didn't jump into the river that winter..."

Suddenly Stella was pulled into a tight hug. Her eyes flew open as the boy tightened his grip.

"W-What are-"

"Don't say that," Yukiya quietly pleaded, "Don't talk about dying..."

Stella wrapped her arms around his neck and tightly held him. After a few minutes, they pulled apart, though Yukiya kept his arms around her.

"I'm being honest. He's my reason for living. If something happened to what you lived for, what would you do?" Stella asked.

"That's why I don't want you to talk about dying."

Stella sucked in a sharp breath as she stared up at the boy. He stared down at her, his gaze unwavering.

"... What... do you mean?"

His gaze went from her eyes, to her nose, to her lips, where they stayed for a moment. He raised his hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear. He slowly leaned forward. Slowly, Stella began to shut her eyes.

"You... You're my re-"

"No! No!"

Suddenly, Tonio materialized in between them. Both the wizards leaped apart with red faces. Stella lightly coughed and smiled.

"Well, maybe that's a sign to head back," she stated, getting to her feet.

Yukiya remained silent.

"Come on," she urged offering her hand, "we were almost late for curfew yesterday."

The boy hesitated before taking her hand. She helped him to his feet, but they held one another's hands for moment longer than necessary. Stella lightly coughed before turning to head back to the dorms.  
Stella could only hope Yukiya didn't notice how red her cheeks were becoming.

...

* * *

...

Yukiya lightly ran his fingers over his lips.

"You're a rather pathetically emotional human, aren't you?" the wolf sniffed.

Yukiya rolled over so his back was facing the familiar.

"She just has to look at you and you melt," the wolf continued.

The boy kept ignoring him.

"You're a fool to trust someone so blindly," the wolf grumbled, "but fine. Keep ignoring me."

"I will."

Pulling the blanket over himself, the boy curled up. He would not allow the wolf to soil his mood.

* * *

 **Ugh, tests and exams are too stressful!  
I don't know when I'll be able to post next, but I'll try to do it as soon as I get a chance.  
**

 **Please leave reviews and comments, and thanks for reading!**

 **Have a nice day/night!**


	23. Golden Dreams

"Hey, Luca! I have a question."

The green haired boy looked up to find Stella looking down at him with a large smile. He sat up and leaned against the tree. He patted the ground beside him, and Stella sat down. She obliged and waited for him to speak.

"I probably have an answer. But it comes at a price."

"Fair enough. Do you know what the smoke signal was about yesterday?"

Luca scratched his neck and closed his eyes in thought. Stella tried to keep her foot from tapping as she waited. It felt like hours before he opened his eyes.

"It was one person, so I'm told. They were wearing a cloak, so their face couldn't be seen. From the position and the potion used, the person was clearly trying to get the attention from someone at the academy. Apparently, they were positioned somewhere where they couldn't be easily found by someone from town. They were spelling out 'sogni doro', though I'm not sure what that means yet."

 _I think he's saying "sogni d'oro", "golden dreams"..._

Stella stared at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"How... How do you even know this stuff?" Stella asked.

"I have my sources." Luca shrugged. "Now tell me something about yourself. Something interesting."

"What?"

Luca leaned in with a sly smirk.

"Remember the price?" he reminded her, "Don't worry, I won't go around telling everyone."

"Well, then why ask?"

"I want to get to know you."

Stella giggled.

"My goodness, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting with me!"

"Maybe you don't know better."

Stella dramatically gasped before standing up with a smile.

"Well, I need to go meet up with Amelia, I'll see you-"

As she made to walk away, Luca stood up and grabbed her arm. He smiled at her, but something in his gaze told her to stay put.

"You don't dine and dash, do you?" he asked.

"Well, actually, I have. I even snatched up some other customer's food as I ran out."

"Seriously?" Luca snickered, "Alright, but really."

"Fine. Do you swear not to tell anyone?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

"I'll stick you with a thousand needles if you tell anyone without my permission."

Luca raised an eyebrow while he waited.

"When I went to visit you in the Detention Chambers, it wasn't the first time I was in a prison," she told him, "but it was the first time I wasn't inside the cell."

"Wait, what? Come on, you can't leave me with that!"

Stella pulled her hand out of his grip with a mischievous smile.

"Watch me."

...

* * *

...

"Today, we shall focus on a specific kind of magical tool: the Timidis Wardrobe. On the outside, it appears as a normal wardrobe, but through the use of dark magic, it can become a terrifying weapon. It is often difficult to tell if a wardrobe has become a Timidis, but it is said that if the room is quiet enough, you can hear a soft growling or humming from within. The victim, if they choose not to step inside, may be pulled in if they get too close, and the door is sealed shut behind them. The dark spell will then take the form of the victim's greatest fear. Others may not even realize a person is stuck inside a Timidis Wardrobe until it is too late. For example, if a person is afraid of drowning, water will drip from the wardrobe's doors. The victim, if not pulled out in time, can die of fear, but not actual drowning. Upon the victim's death or loss of consciousness, the wardrobe will automatically open and release the person."

Peter raised his hand. Professor Schyuler nodded in acknowledgement.

"So does the Timitus Wardrobe always kill the victim?" the boy asked.

"It's Timi _dis_ ,and no. It's not the wardrobe itself that kills the victim, it's the person's own mind. In their panic, they lose touch with reality, and begin to believe what they're seeing is actually happening. However, it's only an illusion. The victim almost always survives. Though they may have nightmares and suffer from hallucinations in the following weeks, but there are spells and potions to combat this. Furthermore, the victims don't die immediately, it would take approximately an hour to an hour and a half. The victim also doesn't need to rely on someone on the outside for help. If they repeat the incantation, **'O' great power, grant me courage in face of fear, Audux Magia!'** they can escape. This spell acts as an inhibitor to the Timidis' dark magic, and allows the person to escape on their own."

"That sounds terrifying," Stella whispered to the boy behind her.

Yukiya tilted his head, and she realized he had not been paying attention. She hid a smile as she faced forward.

 _He's cute, but he really ought to focus..._

"The Ministry has sent some of their people along with a Timidis Wardrobe. Over the course of the next few days, you each will take a turn stepping into the wardrobe, unless your parents or guardians signed for you to be excused, in which case you will do an alternative assignment. For those of you who will be participating, you needn't worry. I, along with the members of the Ministry, will be standing by, along with a timer set for forty-five minutes. If you are not out within that time, we shall get you out ourselves. We will be going in order of your last names."

The class went silent at the professor's announcement. They exchanged looks, clearly agitated.

 _I'm going on the first day?!  
Maybe I can just hide out in the nurse's office..._

Stella let out a groan, and slumped her shoulders. It was stressful enough talking about her past. Besides, she already had a good idea of what was waiting for her inside the wardrobe. It wouldn't be pretty.

...

* * *

...

"What is she doing?" the wolf grumbled, sitting next to the blue haired boy.

"I don't know," Yukiya replied.

Yukiya stood next to the doorway of the kitchen. Once again, Professor Merkulova had allowed Stella to use the room. However, this time she seemed to be making some sort of potion. She had invited the to of them along so they could talk.

"So, how do you feel about that Timidis Wardrobe?" she asked, "I think I'm going to try to skip it."

"Why?" Yukiya tilted his head.

"Cause I know what I'll see."

She peeled a white husk off of a bright green fruit before turning to face him.

"Do _you_ want to do it?" she asked, dropping the husk into the boiling cauldron.

"I think I know what I'll see, too."

Yukiya stared at the ground. He knew he would see what he always saw in his nightmares. The corpses of his friends and family would lay around him, the blood on his hands. He was terrified that when he went into the wardrobe, he'd find that Stella had joined them.  
Suddenly, his hands were enveloped in warmth. He looked up in surprise and found Stella looking at him with concern.

"Sorry, I... I..." she sighed and stepped back.

Yukiya watched as she headed back for the potion. As though sensing his gaze, she began to speak.

"I'm pretty good at making potions, you know, especially ones for sleeping and healing. Same with healing spells. My... my b-brother... and I traveled around with my parents because of their business. We learned to help out, so... so that's why that type of magic is what I'm best at."

The wolf commented something in Norisian. Stella sharply responded. Yukiya furrowed his brow, curious as to what they were saying. Stella glanced up at him.

"I'm making a potion to help me sleep," she explained, "I'll be done soon."

Yukiya watched her in silence. She somehow seemed more uncomfortable, and Yukiya wasn't sure why. He narrowed his eyes at the wolf. The beast sighed and rolled his eyes.

"So naive..." he muttered.

"Done!" Stella chirped.

She slung her arm through the boy's and started walking.

"Let's go home!"

Yukiya walked along, thinking.

 _I can tell she's hiding something, but I don't want to push her..._

He shifted his arm, and Stella pulled away. Before she stepped away, Yukiya reached out and took hold of her hand. He ignored the heat rushing to his cheeks, but still managed to catch Stella's light blush out of the corner of his eye. They'd nearly made it outside when Stella asked him a question out of the blue.

"What would it take to make you hate me?"

He stopped at the sudden question. She watched him without expression, waiting for his answer. After a few moments, he spoke.

"I... don't think I could ever hate you," he admitted.

And it was true. He couldn't imagine thinking negatively of her. Yet the girl's expression darkened at his words.

"What if I hurt people?"

Yukiya thought for a moment.

"You would have had a good reason."

"And if I didn't?"

"I know you would."

Stella sighed and looked up at him.

"You... You really don't know much about me. Isn't it a little hard to make that claim?"

Yukiya let go of her hand, catching the girl off guard. She tilted her head as she looked at him. He smiled as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I want to..." he said quietly, touching her cheek, "I want to know everything about you."

At his words, Stella heavily blushed. She reached up to touch his hand.

"... I'd... like that... too..." she murmured.

Yukiya felt his own cheeks heat up as he ran his thumb over her cheek bone. She smiled up at him. They stood like that for a while. However, the warm atmosphere around them was disrupted by the wolf's snort of disgust. Yukiya glowered at him as Stella stepped away.

"Well, let's head back to the dorms," she said, taking hold of his hand once again.

He walked to the girls' dorm. As they approached, Stella's hand lingered in his, as though she were reluctant to leave.

 _Maybe I'm overthinking it..._

And yet she didn't let go, even as they stood before the building. She looked not at him nor at the dorm. His hand was squeezed and Yukiya squeezed back.

"Stella."

She lifted her head. Yukiya let go of her hand, only to gently take hold of her chin.

"Oh!" she cried, feeling his lips on her cheek.

Yukiya took a few steps back, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes. She held her cheek, her face turning scarlet red. The boy lightly coughed.

"My aim is... getting better..."

 _I think saying that is way more embarrassing than the actually action..._

Yukiya scratched his neck as Stella continued to silently stare at him. Her silence made it hard to gauge what she was thinking.  
Until she burst into giggles.

"I-I... I never thought you'd-!" She smiled at him adorably, "Oh, Yukiya! You're too cute!"

Yukiya looked away, trying to keep her from seeing his bright red cheeks. He waited until he could get his blush under control before bidding her farewell.

"S-Sweet dreams, Y-Yukiya," she replied.

 _I don't think she realizes she's still holding her cheek..._

Yukiya waved goodbye before heading back to the boys' dorm. There was an obvious lightness to his step, as his dorm-mates gave him confused glances. He quickly ate and headed to his room. Elias was already there, hunched over his desk.

"You're gonna have a sore neck," Yukiya told him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. You're right." Elias fixed his posture before looking down at his paper.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing really. I just can't remember what can be used in place of Ivory Husk."

Yukiya furrowed his brow, confused.

"It's used for disguising potions, but unlike other plants, it doesn't actually make the person invisible. It warps the area around the person, making it difficult to identify them." The young Goldstein ran his hand through his hair. "I'll just go check the library tomorrow morning. I don't think I'm going to stay up for too much longer."

Yukiya nodded in acknowledgement. He flopped down onto his bed while the wolf curled up on the floor nearby. He muttered something else in Norisian, making Yukiya raise an eyebrow.

"How do you know Norisian?" he quietly asked.

"I've been around a long time."

"... How long?"

His familiar remained silent for a few moments.

"... Long enough."

Yukiya rolled his eyes, wondering why he had even bothered. Feeling too lazy to change into his pajamas, he pulled off his ties, socks, and shoes. He rolled onto his stomach and stared out the window.

"Ask her about the mark on her back."

Yukiya lifted his head and stared at the wolf. The magical creature didn't bother looking at him.

"Why? And what mark?"

No response. The boy knew better than to keep asking. The wolf never gave complete answers.

 _What's wrong with her having a mark on her back? If it's anything important, she'll tell me...  
Won't she?_

...

* * *

...

The lights were out, and Amelia was already drifting off into dreamland. The moon was high in the sky. Stella sat on her bed, shivering.

 _It's time, it's time, it's time_

She tried to ready herself, but she didn't think she could ever be ready. She lifted the small vial of golden liquid.  
She took a deep breath in.  
She let out a heavy sigh.

"See you soon, brother," she murmured.

And she put the vial to her lips.

* * *

 **The next chapter may be on the short side, possibly.  
I don't know. We'll see.**

 **Please leave reviews and critiques!  
Thanks for reading!**

 **Have a nice day/night!**


	24. Here Comes the Sun

_Woah... I feel... weird!_

Stella stumbled a bit as she stood up from her bed. The area around her warped and she began to feel dizzy. She shut her eyes as she grabbed onto a bed post.

 _1... 2... 3..._

The world's spinning seemed to slow down.

 _4... 5... 6..._

The dizziness began to subside.

 _7... 8... 9..._

It was time to go.

 _10..._

Slipping on her shoes, Stella carefully opened the window. She glanced at her sleeping roommate.

 _I'm sorry that I have to break my promise._

And then she climbed out the window. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Stella slipped into the shadows. She waited a few moments, remembering how Professor Schuyler and the Pretty Red-Haired Woman patrolled at night. When it seemed as though the coast was clear, she crept along towards the academy's front gate. However, once the gate was in sight, Stella stopped.  
Her brother was no fool.  
Scanning her surroundings, the girl tried to find where the smoke signal had come from.

 _I think... it was over there..._

Stella began moving towards her new destination. Biting her lip, she quickly dashed from the shadows of the building to darkness of the fence. She kept her breathing silent as she scanned her surroundings. When she was certain that no one was coming, she turned to look into the forest. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out a cloaked figure. They stared at each other in silence for what felt like hours.

"... If we move more the east, we'll be at a place where the forest meets the school grounds," Stella stated.

"... Lead the way."

He moved like her shadow, moving at the same speed, moving in the same way.  
She clenched her hands, trying to hide how much they were shaking. She couldn't tell if _he_ was feeling the same. They remained silent as they walked toward the opening. In the distance, Stella could see the path leading to the East Forest. The girl bit her lip and hoped no one was waiting there for them.

"This is it?" the boy asked, stopping at where the last fence panel stood.

"Y-Yes." She nodded. "But there's still a barrier. You won't be able to step in, but I can step out."

"Alright..."

Stella began to fidget. She didn't know how to begin.  
Apparently, he did.

"What happened? Around two weeks ago, I mean."

The girl tilted her head.

"When you almost died. You didn't forget that I can sense that sort of thing, did you?"

"N-No, of course not... Um, it's a long story."

"Are you really trying to give _me_ that bullsh*t?" he snapped, "That crap might work on other people, but not on me. I was on my way to Maldura - almost at the border, in fact - but I came back because something happened to you. You're _going_ to tell me what happened."

Stella drew back.

"Excuse me? Forgive me, but I didn't _make_ you turn around. I appreciate it - really, I do - but don't try to make me feel guilty."

He shifted his feet and shrugged.

"... Whatever, just tell me what happened."

"Well, then - I, uh... I was attacked by a chimera."

Now, it was his turn to be surprised. In the darkness, she could see him lean forward.

"A chimera?! Where the hell did yo-"

"I was in this forest. I mean, I was pretty far in the forest, but, uh, yeah..."

"Oh, okay..." He scratched his head from under the cloak. "So... you're okay now?"

"... Kind of... Yes- er, No... Ugh, I don't know!" Stella pulled at her hair. "It's weird."

"Use your words! I can't understand what's happening if you don't explain."

"Um... I'm just... talking to someone..."

He let out a huff and opened his mouth to speak.

" About what... happened..."

He froze.

"You're... what?"

"... I'm telling him what happened."

"' _Him_ '?" She could practically hear his lip curling. "Who do you mean by that?... Where's Lucio?"

Stella raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so now you're calling him by his name? I guess things have changed."

"Cut the sh*t and just tell me where he is. Did the academy let you bring him?"

"... He's... He's safe..."

He took a step forward.

"What do you mean?" he snarled, "Since when has he been allowed to leave your side?"

"Don't talk like that," she hissed back, "it's all for his own good. He has to get used to me not being around."

"... Why?"

Stella ran her hand through her hair. The cape's hood and the night's darkness his face. She didn't like it.

"... I'm going to tell him. He'll be here soon, and... I'm going to tell him."

"... Does he... Does he know who... I am?" His tone shifted from frustration to agitation. "Does he know he has a brother?"

Stella bit her lip and stared at the ground. She heard him let out a breath. It could've have been out of relief or frustration; she didn't know.

"So you plan to run away from him, too? You plan to leave him broken, like you did to me?"

"I did _not_! I couldn't trust you! You almost kil-!"

"And so you fixed him?! Tell me, when he looks in the mirror, does he feel relief?! Joy at being alive?! Tell me, does our dear little brother still feel human?! Because I know I don't!"

"How can yo-?!"

"Sister, sweet Little Star! Do _you_ feel human?! Do _you_ feel whole?!"

"Shut up!" she screamed.

They dropped into silence, glaring at each other. Suddenly, his shoulders dropped. He scratched the back of his neck before digging his hand into his pocket. Then, he held something out to her.  
A piece of ripped cloth.

"Clean up your face. You look pathetic."

It was then that the girl felt the tears sliding down her cheek. Without giving it much thought, she grabbed the cloth from him and wiped her face. She tightly clenched the fabric in her hands. She took a few shaky breaths.

"This isn't how I wanted it to go..." she mumbled, "... I wanted to make up for what I did..."

"Stella..."

They watched each other for a few moments. He was the first to look away.

"You need to get some sleep."

"W-What? N-No, don't-"

"I'll be near the town. Contact me once you're out here."

With that he turned and walked away. Stella stepped forward, outside the barrier.

"Sansone!"

...

* * *

...

Yukiya had been sleeping peacefully when a sudden scent woke him up. It wasn't that the smell was bad; rather, it was quite the opposite. He had been woken by his favorite fragrance: lavender and vanilla.  
He only knew of one source.

 _... Stel...la?_

The boy groggily sat up in bed. He looked around the room. Elias was still asleep in his bed, his hands folded on his chest as he muttered something about potions. The wolf was still beside him, fast asleep. Yukiya glanced at the door to the balcony. There was a flash of movement. He climbed to his feet, pushed open the doors, and stepped out.

"... Stella?" he quietly called out, rubbing his eyes, "Is that you?"

"-oo cut-"

 _... That... voice..._

The whisper came from above. Yukiya looked up at the trees, but all he could make out was a blurred figure. He could sense the magic, and it gave him a headache trying to look through the spell.

"S-Sorry... Forgot how potent the potion was..." the figure murmured, climbing down to sit on the railing.

 _... Potion? What potion?_

"... S'fine..." He kept his eyes on the ground.

"... I didn't mean to wake you up," she began, "I... wanted to check if you were already awake..."

"It's late..."

Stella laughed, but there was something strange about her voice. Yukiya hugged his arms as he shuffled forward.

"You cold?" she quietly asked, "Sorry... We can just talk tomorrow. Goodni- Eep!"

Yukiya dropped his head onto the crook of her neck. She went stiff and her breath caught in her throat. When she didn't push him away, he wrapped his arms around her.

"... You okay?"

She began to tremble. He began to pull back, but she wrapped her arms tightly around him, keeping him in place. When he tried to lift his head, she kept him still with a surprising amount of strength. He could feel her distress like crashing waves, even when she remained silent. Unsure of what else he could, Yukiya shifted his position and swept one arm under legs, and the other under her arms. Stella remained silent as as he turned and sat down, his back against the railing and the girl huddled in his lap.

"... Your neck's beginning to hurt, isn't it?" she sniffled.

"... S'fine..."

Nevertheless, she released him. The girl had been right: his neck was beginning to ache.  
But that didn't mean he'd wanted her to let go.  
He tightened his grip, drawing her closer.

"What if Elias wakes up?" she asked.

"He sleeps like a log... He has to use three alarms in the morning..."

"Wait, really?" She giggled. "I would've thought he was a morning person!"

Yukiya shook his head.

"... He also hides chocolates all over the room..."

"No!" Stella gasped. "Seriously?"

He nodded. She broke into a fit of giggles. The boy felt his face soften; he preferred her loud laughter to her silent tears. He shut his eyes as he rested his forehead against her. It might've been his imagination, but he thought he could feel her face heating up.

"G-Geez, you get pretty cuddly when you're tired, don't you?"

A new scent suddenly caught Yukiya's attention. He furrowed his brow and tried to identify it.  
Familiar, yet different.  
Vanilla.  
Lime.  
And -

"Where were you?" Yukiya pulled back and forced himself to look at the girl.

The potion was making his head pound, but he felt that he had to. Something was wrong. Whoever that smell belonged to, they were... off.  
Dangerous.

 _... She... didn't sneak out just to see me... did she?_

"I, uh, was taking care of something," she replied, beginning to twist away, "Why?"

"Who was it?" He tightened his grip.

"N-No one you need to wor-"

"Who?"

"It's late. We should both head to bed."

"Where did you go?"

"It's really nothing I should... It's not something I should talk with you about now."

"Where? With who?"

"Let me go, please."

"Why'd you cry?"

"Yukiya, please. Not now."

"Why'd you come here?"

"Because I-I..." She stopped for a moment. "I... don't actually know. I just ended up here without even thinking about it."

Yukiya looked away. His head's throbbing seemed to subside when he wasn't looking at her. Stella let out a sigh and pulled herself away. She sat on her knees before him.

"I'm trying to open up to you," she began, "and I'm sure I must be frustrating you with how I'm dawdling and hesitating. But Yukiya, I did something... bad. Really, really bad. I'm not going to tell you what I did or why I did it, because I want you to be able to sleep. Though... I guess just giving you that is also going to keep you up at night. Well, then... Rest assured that I'm in the process of fixing it. I'm going to fix everything soon, so... please just listen to my story until the end. After that, just do what you will, alright? I promise, it won't be much longer."

Yukiya hesitated before nodding. He reached out and took hold of her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"Thanks." He could hear the smile in her voice. "Goodnight, Yukiya. Sweet dreams."

"... 'Night..."

The girl climbed back up the tree. As Yukiya turned to go back inside, Stella suddenly let out a whisper-shout.

"And pretty please don't tell _anyone_ that I was here!"

She left before he even had a chance to respond. After a few moments, Yukiya walked back in and climbed in bed. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to piece together what he'd found. The other scent was what was really bothering him. He recognized each part, but he couldn't understand what they were doing together, or why the scent was on the girl.  
He closed his eyes, recalling the disturbing smell.  
Vanilla.  
Lime.

And death.

* * *

 **Sorry to take so long with the revealing of Stella's back story, but I'm hoping it'll make sense once it's finally revealed.**

 **And Elias is most definitely sleeping like a Disney princess**

 **Please leave reviews and comments, and thanks for reading!  
** **Have a nice day/night!**


	25. Did You Hear?

"Did you hear? Someone snuck out of the dorms last night!" Delilah whispered.

"Why are you being so quiet?" Amelia asked, "Everyone's heard."

"Really? How does _everyone_ know if it happened just last night?" Stella tilted her head.

"Apparently they picked up some traces of a student's magic near the East Forest. The professors can't tell who it is yet," Delilah replied. "They're trying to figure it out."

"If they're caught, they might have to spend the night in the Detention Chamber," Amelia added.

"Oh, that sounds like fun." Stella cringed.

 _Oh, boy. Oooh, boy. That is the_ last _thing I need._

"Who do you think it was?"

"Luca, probably."

"Or maybe the white haired girl or Joel? They're always together."

"What do you think will happen if they don't confess?" Stella tilted her head.

"Dunno," Amelia shrugged, "but the professors will find out sooner or later, and the person who did it will have a more severe punishment."

 _Oof... Okay, I need to think of a way out of this..._

The girls grabbed their lunches and sat down at one of the tables. Stella was finally able to get the girls to move on to another topic by asking about Amelia's progress with Terrance. Amelia immediately grew shy and giggly, and Delilah began laughing.

* * *

 _"So you plan to run away from him, too? You plan to leave him broken, like you did to me?"_

 _"I did not! I couldn't trust you! You almost kil-!"_

 _"And so you fixed him?! Tell me, when he looks in the mirror, does he feel relief?! Joy at being alive?! Tell me, does our dear little brother still feel human?! Because I know I don't!"_

 _"How can yo-?!"_

 _"Sister, sweet Little Star! Do you feel human?! Do you feel whole?!"_

 _"Shut up!"_

* * *

 _We're human... We're still human... We're not monsters, and we did nothing wrong..._

Amelia snapped at Delilah, who only laughed more.

 _He did wrong, not me... I... I didn't do anything wrong..._

Amelia said something that made Delilah blush. She cackled as the younger girl turned into a flustered mess.

 _I tried to save them! I did what I could to save the family I still had!_

The two girls stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

 _Why am I in the wrong? I did what I had to! I didn't know what the consequences were!_

They started talking to her, but Stella couldn't hear them.

 _I'm not the bad guy!_

"Stella!" Luca was staring at her, looking worried.

Amelia and Delilah were peering over his shoulders. Stella stared at them, wondering when the boy had shown up. Amelia pushed Luca out of the way and handed her her handkerchief. Stella stared at it, confused.

"You look like you're about to cry," she quietly explained.

"O-Oh?" Stella drew back, then laughed. "Ah, I feel like an idiot! We have to do that Timidis Wardrobe thing today, and I'm just scared. I had a nightmare last night that I got stuck in it, and I couldn't get out. I guess I was just remembering. I'm all good now, sorry for making you guys worry!"

"Oh, I don't blame you. That thing was horrible," Amelia sighed, resting her hand on her arm, "Oh! I mean, it's really not that bad once you're done with it, but it's the build up that's really terrifying."

"Awesome," Stella groaned.

"Timidis Wardrobe?" Deliilah echoed.

Amelia turned and explained what it was. As she was looking back, Luca raised an eyebrow.

"You can fool them, but you can't fool me," he told her.

 _He knows. He knows. He kno- No, he doesn't know about Sansone. He probably only knows that I was the one who snuck out. He can't know why, or how, or any other details, which... which isn't necessarily a good thing. Now he's going to be really curious. I can't say I went to meet Yukiya, because then he'll be wondering I'm upset and questioning him about it. What do I do?_

"It's alright," he said quietly, "You look upset, so just this once, I won't dig too deep. But," he began, his face growing serious, "if it's someone bothering you, you really should tell me."

"Oh? Do I have another knight in shining armor?" Stella chuckled.

"Nah, my armor's a little rusted."

"Armor is still armor, Luca."

He smiled at her, patted her arm, and walked off. As she was watching the boy walk off, a sudden hand poked her cheek. Stella jumped and stared at Delilah.

"We asked you question earlier," she pouted, "we wanted to know how things are going with you and Yukiya."

"Uh, I'm not sure..." she admitted, "I'll let you guys know when I do."

 _I still don't know how he's going to take it when I tell him everything..._

"How about you and your mysterious crush?" she asked.

"I-I already told Amelia!"

"I didn't hear."

"And I want to hear it again!" Amelia added.

"Jerks!" the younger girl hissed, "Fine. I said that I ran into he-them the other day. I dropped my papers and they helped me pick them all up."

"How sweet," Stella said with a smile.

"Apparently, they know her name, too," Amelia told her.

"She's almost at the same level as you."

"Hey, I'm trying to date him, alright?"

The girls began laughing as they ate.

...

* * *

...

Stella hurried into the classroom and sat down in her seat. Yukiya was already sitting in his seat, with the wolf laying down by his feet. She offered him a smile, and when he looked at her, his face softened. There was a tug of guilt in the girl's heart when she saw the bags under his eyes. Pushing away the feeling, she pressed her finger to her lips and winked. Yukiya stared at her, not taking the hint.  
She winked again.

"Is your eye okay?"

 _Oh, gods..._

"Please don't tell anyone about last night," she whispered, her eyes begging, "I'm scared of getting in trouble!"

"Oh, okay."

With that, he turned back to facing the window. Stella felt a bit caught off guard. It seemed almost as though he were trying to avoid facing at her. She leaned forward to ask what was wrong. When she did, his nose curled for a split second before he could stop it. A wave of hurt fell over her, and Stella leaned back.

"S-Sorry," she apologized feeling embarrassed.

 _I don't stink, do I? I took a bath last night, and even after running outside at night, I shouldn't have gotten anywhere near dirty enough to stink!_

Yukiya saw her reaction and his eyes widened.

"N-No, it's not..." he began, then stopped to think, "You... that person... It's them, not you..."

"It's fine," she replied.

"Stel-"

"Hello, Stella," a voice suddenly greeted her.

Turning around, she found Elias standing by her desk.

"Hey!" She grinned at him.

"Are you ready for the Wardrobe?"

"Not in the slightest! You?"

He lightly coughed before responding.

"I don't think this is something anyone can prepare for."

"At least we can go home right after," another girl broke into the conversation.

"Oh, we can?" Stella's eyes widened.

"Yes," Elias confirmed, "it's like when we take an exam."

"Cool."

The trio continued their conversation as they waited for the bell to ring. No one in the room wanted to discuss what they thought they would see, and most tried to avoid talking about the Wardrobe altogether.

...

* * *

...

"Tomorrow the first group of students will go," Professor Schuyler explained, "This will include Miss Abdulla, Mr. Alberness, Mr. Babajide, Mr. Baggenns, Mr. Cadwallader, Miss Cantrell, Miss Carlevaro, Miss Denman, Mr. Fenn , Miss Garnett, and Mr. Goldstein."

The students whose names were called wore uncomfortable expressions. Elias tried to keep his face calm, but there was obvious fear in his amethyst eyes. As the eleven chosen students were silently panicking, the rest of the class let out small sighs of relief.

"Now, as I mentioned yesterday, the ministry has sent us a pair of knights. The Wardrobe will be brought in tomorrow, but they're here to answer any questions you may have."

With that, the professor walked over to his desk. Taking his place at the front of the classroom were two people in bright white uniforms. One was a young woman with blue tattoos spread across her nearly bald head. She had some blonde hair poking out of the front of her hat. Stella figured she had a mohawk. The other knight was a young man. A very handsome young man. Some of the girls began giggling and blushing, and they only grew more excited when he gave them a charming smile. He lifted his hat to run his hand through his burgundy hair before he began.

"My name is Vincent Knight." He smiled at the class.

"And I'm Anna Belathane," the woman added.

"I'm sure you're all worried about the Timidis Wardrobe. I'd like to tell you all not to worry, but it's no joke," Vincent started. "Even if you understand that what you're seeing is an illusion, you're still going to be terrified. That's just human nature."

"When you recite the spell **'O' great power, grant me courage in face of fear, Audux Magia!'** , your worse nightmare turns into a sweet dream. What you fear most becomes what desire most. It's actually helped many people overcome their fears and phobias. However, if you can't recite the spell... don't worry." Anna smiled at the class. "It's pretty much impossible to think straight when you're in panic mode. If you aren't able to cast the spell yourself, after around fifty minutes minutes, we'll get you out ourselves. Once that's all done, you can go back to your dorms. You won't need to attend any classes. Depending on how fare during the night, you might be able to get an excused absence from a few morning classes. If you're not going through the Wardrobe tomorrow, you don't need to show up to this class. If you are going tomorrow, then you won't need to come to class the day after."

"Any questions?" Vincent asked, looking around.

A girl with pale blue hair raised her hand. When the knights nodded, she spoke.

"Is it just your, um, greatest fear?" she asked, "What if you fear a lot of different things?"

"Um... Anna?" Vincent grinned at his partner.

The female knight sighed at him before turning back to the girl with a smile.

"You might see some of them, but the Wardrobe will focus on your greatest fear. If it manages to pick up on smaller fears while it's searching for your greatest, then it might sprinkle them in throughout the illusion," she explained, "kind of like the most horrifying sundae in creation."

Some of the students chuckled at her joke, but most just gulped and shifted in their seats. Luca, at first glance, seemed unfazed, but there was a subtle stiffness to his normally relaxed face. He'd already been forced to face the East Forest's illusions.

"Why do we have to do this?" one boy asked, "And why can some people be excused, but not others?"

"Why should you learn combative magic?" Anna replied, "We want you to be able to defend yourselves if you need to. And as for the excused students, they may have genetic medical conditions that may put them more at risk than others. As an alternative, they'll be put through a similar but more mild test. They'll be put into a magically-induced sleep state where two professors and a knight or two are monitoring their condition and influencing what they see. If things seem to get too dangerous for the student, the dream is carefully influenced to be more peaceful and they are woken up as soon as they safely can."

Stella bit her lip, wishing she could ask Mr. Amicus to sign her a waver. After thinking about it for a moment, she realized she didn't want four people looking into her head.

The students asked a few more questions, until it seemed the class knew all that they needed. For the rest of the period, the two knights shared some of their odd work experiences. It was evident that most of the girls in the class were too busy checking out Vincent to pay attention to Anna's stories. It was too bad; Anna seemed to get all the exciting jobs.

...

* * *

...

"So, what are they serving for lunch today?" Stella asked.

"I think it's pork sandwiches today," Luca replied.

Elias seemed to be deep in thought about something, and Yukiya was quiet as usual. Stella noted how the blue haired boy was walking close enough for their hands to occasionally brush up against one another. She doubted it was on purpose; She knew Yukiya pretty well.

"I hope it doesn't have paprika in it," the girl sighed.

"Hm? Why's that?" Elias tilted his head.

"I'm allergic."

"Really, now?" Luca raised an eyebrow. "How bad is it?"

"It's not like it'll kill me," she replied, "but I get dizzy and I start wheezing. It's weird, because I can eat normal peppers."

"Huh. Well, I have a minor pollen allergy, but the nurse has potions that help with it." Luca offered a smile.

"Good to know."

"Elias?" Yukiya stopped and looked back at the blonde.

At his question, Stella and Luca stopped and turned. Elias was staring at something across the schoolyard, his face rapidly turning red. Stella drew back, then followed his gaze. Vincent, the knight from class, was laughing with a girl who seemed to be around their age. Her short copper hair bounced with every movement she made, and her silver eyes seemed full of mirth. The pair almost looked like siblings.  
Stella looked back at the young Goldstein.

"I see," she purred.

"S-See what?!" Elias snapped, whipping his head to face her.

"How interesting," Luca added, slinging his arm around the younger boy's neck.

"W-What's interesting?!" he squeaked, quickly stepping away.

"What a pretty girl," Stella observed.

"What a cute face," Luca agreed.

"S-Shut up!" Elias all but shouted.

Vincent and the girl heard them and glanced their way.

"So loud," Yukiya mumbled.

The girl seemed to make eye contact with Elias, who went completely stiff with his face redder than Stella thought possible. The girl looked confused for a moment before she waved. Elias simply stood there with a panicked look on his face. Stella lightly coughed. Elias jumped and then nodded in greeting. Stella, Luca, and Yukiya watched in silence as the blonde began awkwardly walking towards the Dining Hall. After a few moments, the trio followed behind him.

"So, Anastasia?" Luca questioned.

"L-Leave me alone!"

...

* * *

...

 _I wonder if this will work..._

Stella took a deep breath. She seemed to be taking quite a few risks as of late. She wasn't rather fond of it.

 _I came here to learn, not to deal with drama!_

The students had all gone home, so the halls were empty. She approached the room, growing more anxious with every step. As she raised her hand to knock on the door, she heard voices from the inside.

"Conrad," a familiar voice laughed, "I didn't know you could cook!"

"I hardly call making soup cooking," the man grumbled.

"Well, thank you either way," Professor Hart replied.

After a few moments, Stella heard coughing. Professor Schuyler asked the woman something, which made her laugh.

"Uh, w-what kind is this again?"

Professor Schuyler listed off some herbs. Stella cringed.

 _Those are good for fatigue, but they're disgusting together!_

Her mother had made it for her an her brother when they weren't feeling well. Most of the time, Sansone would toss it out of the window while Stella would distract their mother.

"T-Thanks," Professor Hart said, obviously holding back a gag, "I'll finish this up later."

Believing it to be as good a chance as any, Stella knocked on the door.

"Come in," the woman called.

Stella took a deep breath and walked in the door. Professor Hart was sitting on her desk with a thermos and spoon sitting next to her. Professor Schyuler was standing next to her, though he seemed to be a touch closer than normal coworkers would be. Stella stared at them both, wondering if she had interrupted something. The man lightly coughed.

"I'll be taking my leave then," he stated, and started walking out.

"Alright. Thanks again, Schuyler!" The woman flashed him a kind smile.

He stopped only to give her a light nod. When he was gone, Professor Hart turned to her.

"Hey, Stella. Is everything alright?"

 _Here we go..._

Stella started sniffling and made her eyes look watery. The woman stood up, looking concerned.

"Stella, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I-I was the one who snuck out last night! I'm so, so sorry!"

Professor Hart looked surprised for a moment. Then she sighed.

"Oh, I see." She nodded. "Don't be upset, now," she soothed, "It's good that you came and told one of us."

Stella nodded.

 _I'm glad I chose her instead of Schuyler or Merkulova._

She hadn't forgotten how Merkulova hadn't let her help Yukiya when he was sick. She still hadn't quite forgiven him.

 _Oh, Yukiya. I'm sorry I can't tell you more today..._

"You understand that we have to tell the Headmaster about this, right?"

Stella nodded.

"Alright, then. Let's get going." The professor gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder and started walking towards the door.

Stella quickly followed her into the hall. As they made their way to the Headmaster's office, the girl began to worry.

 _Amelia's going to be so mad at me, and students are going to talk about it. Oh, what if they drag Yukiya or the others into it? I don't want to hurt their reputations..._

She it her lip and spoke to the professor.

"Um, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," the woman replied, turning to look at her.

"Could you... not tell anyone?" she asked, "I mean, the students. I don't want them to come up with any more rumors..."

Professor Hart furrowed her brow in thought.

"Well, I don't have a problem with that. I guess we could say that you were helping me with some papers for extra credit, and it got to be so late you slept in the nurse's office... Though that only works for one night. We don't know if you'll be there longer."

"I'll figure something out if I do," Stella said, then sighed, "Thank you Professor Hart."

"It's no problem, but Stella, these rules are in place for a reason. We want to keep you all safe. If you guys don't follow what we say, we can't protect you."

"I understand."

 _... But I've learned to take care of myself._

They were quiet for the rest of their walk. Soon enough, they arrived at Headmaster Randolph's door. They knocked and entered. The red haired woman was sitting at the desk, looking over papers.

"Hello," Professor Hart called, "it seems we can stop our search."

 _She... doesn't seem surprised to see her..._

The woman lifted her head and gazed at them with dark gold eyes.

"Stella. Why am I not surprised," she said with a light sigh. "You can't follow the rules to save your life, can you?"

Stella smiled.

"Well, this time you'll need to go to the Detention Chamber, okay?" the woman stated, "We'll say... one night and half a day."

"Okay." Stella nodded, then furrowed her brow. "I'm not trying to be rude, but why am I being punished this time? I mean, I know I broke the rules, but..."

"You were by the East Forest. There was a darker presence just outside," she explained, "Do you want to tell me what you were doing there?"

It wasn't a question. It was a polite demand.

"I read in a book that there were these pretty glowing herbs that only bloomed at night. I wanted to see if I could get some. I saw them, but they were outside the fence. I didn't want to go back to the East Forest, so I started to turn around. I... I think I heard something out there, but if it came from the forest, I didn't want to stay there."

The woman nodded.

"Alright. Professor Hart, will you please escort Stella to the Detention Chamber?"

The professor nodded and opened the door for the girl. Stella glanced at the woman one last time before hurrying out the door. As they walked through the halls, Professor Hart promised to talk to the woman about keeping the situation quiet. Stella was grateful, but she remained quiet. She knew it would be a long night.  
Through the passage, past the traps, and finally to a cell. It had a small window, and a neatly made bed. There was an old chamberstick with a small candle sitting on the small stool by the bed.

"Stella, may I see your wand?" the professor asked.

Without a word, Stella surrendered it to her. The woman held it up to the moonlight.

"It's very pretty," she told her, "is this... a snake coiled around it? What is its core?"

"A hair from a Nemean Lion."

"Ah, those are hard to get. If I remember correctly, it helps you with... protection spells, I believe."

Stella nodded. The woman offered her a smile.

"I'll take good care of it until you get it back tomorrow. I should be in my office all day."

"Yes, ma'am."

Stella opened the door and walked in. The professor didn't look happy as she locked the door.

"I'll be back tomorrow. Goodnight, Stella."

"Goodnight, professor."

Stella listened as the woman walked away. When she was gone, the girl walked over and laid on the bed. It was quiet, almost painfully so.

 _It wasn't this quiet last time..._

* * *

 _A little girl, no older than nine, sat huddled in the corner of a large cell. She covered her mouth to muffle her crying, but the other prisoners still complained._

 _"Shut up already!" a gruff voice snarled, "Or I'll make you!"_

 _"Leave the kid alone!" another voice growled back._

 _"Kid? That isn't a kid! She's a monster!"_

 _"Oh, and you're_ so _much better!"_

 _"I'm not the one with evil running through my veins! I'd be doing everyone a favor by ending it's miserable life!"_

 _The little girl retreated further into the corner. She wanted to beg them to stop, but she was scared the owner of the voice would act on his words if she did._

 _"Give it a rest, would you?" a third voice groaned, "She'll be dead before noon."_

 _She wanted to scream, to shout. But that wouldn't change her fate.  
She'd be killed at dawn.  
The only thing she could do was to wait._

* * *

 **So sorry for the months of absence! I don't really have an excuse besides lack of motivation...**  
 **I hope this extra long update makes up for it... at least a little...**

 **Thanks for reading, and please leave reviews and critiques!**  
 **Have a nice day/night!**


	26. The Truth of My Story

Yukiya could feel that something was off when he woke up. He couldn't tell what it was, but something wasn't right. He got up, got ready, and walked with Elias to the Dining Hall. As he sat down, Amelia and a younger girl with purple hair approached him. He heard Elias greet them.

"Have you heard from Stella?" Amelia asked, "I'm worried. I would have thought she'd be here by now."

Yukiya furrowed his brow and looked up.

"She didn't walk up with you guys?" Elias asked.

"She stayed late working on extra credit, and apparently slept in the nurse's office."

"Then what's the problem?" Luca yawned. "She's probably trying to catch up on sleep."

 _Why didn't she say anything? I would have helped..._

"You're no better than a lost puppy," the wolf mused.

The boy opted to ignore him, turning back to listen to the conversation.

"We're going to run her a change of clothes," the purple haired girl piped up, "Can we just head over now, or do we have to wait for the bell?"

"You're allowed to go now, but they'll only let one of you go," Elias replied.

Yukiya's attention drifted back to his food. He could just ask Stella when he saw her after class. He picked up his fork and dug into the peaches. As he ate, Amelia, Elias, and Luca began chatting.

"You know, Stella told me La Magnifique Merveille will be here soon. Do you think the Headmaster would let us go see a show?" the girl wondered.

"That would be nice." Elias nodded. "I've heard that it has some amazing shows, but it's hard to catch since it's pretty much always on the move."

"I'm sure they'll spare some time for Stella. I admit, I'm curious about the Human Mirror and The Angel."

Yukiya stabbed another peach. He didn't want to think about La Magnifique. Stella seemed to dread meeting her little brother again. He sighed as he ate the fruit. He wanted to stand by her, but he needed to understand what was going on.

...

* * *

...

Stella stared at the ceiling. She was grateful to have a window, but when she woke up and found the sun's light, she realized she hadn't given her friends an excuse for her absence.

"Maybe... I wasn't feeling well?" she murmured.

It didn't seem very convincing, but the girl couldn't think of anything else. She groaned and rolled over on the thin mattress. She couldn't wait to return to her bed in the dorm.

"They could have given me a book or something..."

As she grumbled, a small piece of paper fluttered in through the window. Stella sat up and grabbed the note. Unfolding it, she found a strange symbol painted on the back. Flipping it over, she found handwriting.

 _When you get a chance, I'm  
at the house with the pig.  
It has a creepy old innkeeper  
that is always smiling.  
Everyone in this damn town is  
too damn smiley. It's creepy.  
\- Sunny_

"Pfft! What the hell?" Stella snickered. "'too smiley'?"

Despite how blunt the message was, Stella was both surprised and happy to see that he genuinely wanted to talk to her again.

"Still, I didn't realize he'd become such a grouch."

As she was giggling, the letter vanished with an explosion of glitter. She sighed. She had no way to show that she'd received his message.

 _What was that symbol?_

When they were younger, Stella and her brother had learned Norisian runes from their father, but the shapes of the symbol on the note had different shapes than those that she was familiar with. She tried to remember what the symbol looked like. When she got out, she could go to the library to look it up.  
She furrowed her brow as a sudden question arose.

 _How did that note get inside the school?_

...

* * *

...

Yukiya was feeling nervous.  
He'd waited to meet Stella after class. He figured she wouldn't want to be alone after the Timidis Wardrobe. He'd waited a few hours, watching student after student leave the classroom. When Elias, the last student on the list, walked out, Yukiya stopped him. He looked into his friend's eyes. He had seen Elias frazzled and anxious, but never so... disturbed. Elias didn't bother trying to regain his composure.

"I-I'm going to the library," he announced, "I'm f-fine. You don't need to look at me like that."

Yukiya gave his friend's shoulder a comforting squeeze. Elias's face softened slightly.

"I'll see you later." Elias gave his friend a stiff smile before walking off.

Yukiya watched the boy for a moment before walking into the classroom. He found Professor Schyuler writing in a notebook and the two knights from the previous day. He walked over to the teacher.

"Have you seen Stella?" he asked.

The professor didn't lift his gaze from the paper.

"Miss Carlevaro didn't come in. She'll need to make up her appointment later."

 _She never showed up?_

"Where is she?"

"Mister Reizen, I'm very busy. I don't have time to keep track of all my students when they're not in class."

Yukiya furrowed his brow and walked out.

 _Where is she?_

Yukiya closed his eyes. He remembered one of the girl's friends mentioning the nurse's office. He turned and made his way there. He walked down the halls, ignoring the noises of the other classes. He walked into the office, only to find a orange haired boy sitting on one of the beds.

"Oh, hey, Yukiya!" The boy waved, then cringed in pain.

Yukiya stared at the boy.

"The nurse is out, but she'll be right back," he explained.

"Where's Stella?"

"Stella?" The orange haired boy tilted his head. "There hasn't been anyone else here besides the nurse and I since the beginning of last period."

"Before that?"

"Um, there was a girl with purple pigtails, but that's abou- Hey, where are you going?"

Yukiya furrowed his brow and walked out. He started for the girls' dorm, wondering if she'd already headed back there.

...

* * *

...

Stella was going out of her mind.  
She was sick of sitting in the cell, and she was sick of staring at a stone wall. Unfortunately, it was not something easy avoid, as the only thing in the cell besides a stone wall was a stone floor or a wall of bars. It made her want to scream.  
The window was to high for her to look out of, and too small to see what was happening outside. The only thing it was good for was telling the relative time.  
At the moment, it seemed to be a little before lunch time. A little while ago, Professor Hart had stopped by to bring breakfast. It was the most interesting part of her day.

As she sat on the stiff bed, another note fluttered in through the bars of the door.

 _Did Sansone send another note already?_

She plucked the paper from the air and unfolded it.

 _Is everything alright?_

 _-Yukiya_

She couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face. She felt bad that she couldn't send a response, and promised herself to talk to him as soon as she got out. She sighed as the letter dissipated.  
About half an hour later, she heard something down the hall. She stood up expecting to find Professor Hart, though it was a bit earlier than she was supposed to be let out.

"Stella?"

"Yukiya!" she gasped, "What are you doing here?"

The sound of rapid footsteps grew louder, and soon enough, Yukiya was standing before the cell. He stared at her in surprise.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

The girl noticed the sweat on his forehead. She gave him an awkward smile.

"Hey, Yuki... I, um, I admitted to sneaking out."

"Why?"

His tone wasn't accusing, just confused.

"I thought it was a good way to avoid the Wardrobe thing," she explained.

Yukiya's eyes said it all. Stella groaned.

"Of course it didn't..." she grumbled.

She sat down in front of the bars and the boy followed suit.

"How did you find me?"

"I looked around," Yukiya replied, "and then I followed the note."

"Ah! Like I did before!" Stella grinned.

Yukiya nodded, the ghost of a smile on his lips. But it soon faded.

"Why are you trying to avoid the Wardrobe so much?" he asked.

Stella shifted.

 _I swore I'd tell him... Now's a good a time as any..._

"Promise you'll just listen?"

The boy nodded, his eyes sincere.

"I know what I'll see... It... It's the reason Sansone, my brother, and I parted ways, and why Lucio doesn't know anything about where we born or that he even has a brother... It..." She took a deep breath. "My mother was pregnant with Lucy, and it was getting close to the time for him to be born. We happened to be in that horrible village, but we had to stop for her health. The people avoided us, but one old lady, an outcast, came to help with the birth. She used to be a midwife, and didn't view my brother as evil, despite how she thought of my father. After my brother was born, my mother was really weak. Around that time..."

She paused to take a deep breath. Yukiya reached out and squeezed her hand. She gave him a weak smile before continuing.

"There... there was an o-outbreak. My mother... she wasn't strong en-enough to... to..." The girl took a deep breath. She would _not_ cry. She waited few moments before continuing. "It was awful. My father... changed. He was still loving and patient with us, but he seemed... almost _broken_. He didn't really smile or joke like he did before. He still took care of us, but he didn't take very good care of himself. Sansone and I helped him take care of Lucio, because sometimes my father couldn't help breaking down into tears when he saw him."

She paused, her expression growing darker.

"But those _monsters_ blamed us!" she snarled, "Some said my father was a _demon_ that brought the sickness as a curse - that he... he _killed_ my mother! Others blamed _her_ saying it was a divine punishment for her giving birth to _demons_!"

Yukiya gave her another squeeze, but this she gave him no smile.

"They killed him."

"What?"

"He got cut up while hunting. The wounds got infected, but no one would give us medicine. Even when we offered twice the price, they refused to sell it to us. My brother and I took turns watching over him... but we couldn't keep it up... I fell asleep when I was supposed to be taking care of our father. It... It was only a few minutes, but... when I opened my eyes, it was silent... my father wasn't breathing... He was gone, just like that..."

The boy stared at her, unable to speak.

"That was... when Sansone really began to change. He was meaner and his temper was a lot shorter. I think it was when he first began to blame things on Lucio."

Yukiya tilted his head.

"Things went bad not long after his birth. Sansone needed to find a source for his anger. He was angry at the villagers, of course I was too. But if we stayed too long in town, we thought they'd kill us. He never tried to hurt Lucio or anything... it was more of how he looked at him... We avoided the town as much as possible, but we were too young to leave, and we couldn't take care of Lucio on our own if we were on the road. We planned to wait until he was able to walk, but..."

Stella drifted off staring at the ground.

"Stella?"

"... Someone began killing livestock. They accused us as doing it out of revenge. I was looking for herbs in the forest when they found me... I had barely gotten a look at them before they gagged me and tied my hands together... They dragged me to the prison. and forced me into a cell. It... was really dark, and it smelled horrible. There were other prisoners in there; they'd snarl and yell when I cried. The guards would come in once in a while. They didn't stop the prisoners, they just made it worse... They mocked me, saying my brothers and I would be sent to the g-gallows..."

The tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled the events. She could feel herself trembling as she held the boy's hand. He was her tether to the present.

"While I was in that cell, the villagers... they... they-!"

The boy reached out and took hold of her other hand. She squeezed his hands before continuing.

"They burned down our home..." she whispered, "and Lucio... h-he was still inside..."

She lifted her gaze and found the boy's eyes widened with shock. She tore her eyes away from his and continued.

"Sansone was supposed to be with him, but..." she drifted off. "... After he got Lucio out and hidden in the forest, he... he helped me break out. We used magic, and the rest of the townspeople were too afraid to get any closer..."

* * *

 _The young twins ran through the town, before reinforcements could arrive. They practically flew into the forest. The little girl followed the boy to the cave, where their brother was waiting. Stella collapsed when she saw her younger brother. Sansone looked away and spoke up._

 _"He... He's just asleep... Those people... they didn't know he was in there. It was just meant to force us out." He glanced at her. "They got real scared when they realized what they did."_

 _Stella slowly climbed to her feet. Her brother continued._

 _"I... hurt them... Real, real bad... Worse than I-"_

 _"Where were you?"_

 _The boy stared at her. Stella turned around to face her brother, her face twisted in rage._

 _"Why did you leave him alone?!"_

 _"I-I didn't go far..." He took a step back. "I didn't know they were going to_ burn _our house down!"_

 _"Look at him!" she screamed._

 _"It's not as bad as it lo-!"_

 _Before the boy could finish his sentence, Stella tackled him. She smacked him across the face, only to be greeted with a punch to her jaw. In that tiny cave in the dark forest, the two children fought until they were too tired to move._

* * *

Stella stared at the ground for a few moments.

"A few days after that, Lucio's burns got infected. He was... He was too small to fight it off, and the potions we made weren't strong enough..." She bit her lip. "My baby brother was dying... He was dying, and there was nothing I could do... I was trying to find something to help in one of the few books that survived the fire. Sansone found something first."

She suddenly lifted her gaze and stared into his eyes.

"Yukiya, can you... keep a secret for me?" she asked, "It's... important. If you don't think you can, just tell me now."

"... I promise. I won't tell anyone," he replied, his gaze honest and sure.

They looked at one another in silence. After what felt like hours, she spoke.

"My brother used forbidden magic to save Lucio. He used... He used blood magic." Stella hung her head. "And the price was far heavier than we could have anticipated."

Yukiya remembered what the wolf had mentioned before. The mark the girl supposedly wore.

"A... mark of darkness?"

She flinched. After a moment, the girl looked up.

"Yes. He used blood magic, but he couldn't... he couldn't bring himself to kill another human. He'd been catching snakes for some reason, so he used those instead... but because he used snake blood and not human blood, Lucio's skin..." She paused and buried her face. After a moment, she lifted her head. "Wherever Lucio had a burn, scales grew eyes... they looked like a snake's... When he got older, Lucio asked me about his appearance. You know what I told him? I said he was born like that because of a curse. I _lied_ to him. I've _been_ lying to him..."

"Stel-"

"I yelled at Sansone because of what the magic had done... He got pissed and we fought. He ended up knocking me down, and my arm got cut up by thorns... I was so angry, I just... I picked up Lucio and walked off... I was for less than a day, but when I got back to our spot, he was gone. The books, and the only photo we had of our family...All gone... I waited two days, but some villagers started looking for us in the forest... Sansone wouldn't have stayed, and so... so I didn't either. Years went by... we still have a vague connection; he could tell when I was attacked by the chimera, when I almost died... Yukiya, that's why he came back..."

"... Back?"

She ignored his question as she continued.

"About a year went by, and I was really struggling to care of both myself and Lucio... I stole food, clothes, blankets, whatever we needed. But no more! One day... One day a man saw me running off with some stolen food... instead of reporting me, he asked where my parents were. When I told him they were gone, he told me to go to the traveling circus. There was something about him that... that told me he wouldn't hurt Lucio or I... I brought Lucy with me when I went to the show, and... I fell in love. I fell in love with La Magnifique Merveille. The man, Gavriil, convinced Mr. Amicus to let my brother and I join, and... and that was that. They all become our new family, the only family Lucio knows..."

Yukiya looked at her in silence for a few moments. To Stella, it felt like an eternity. She bit her lip as she stared at the ground. She felt so painfully vulnerable, as though she'd been stripped of her armor in the midst of a battle. She hated it.

"You love Lucio a lot." Stella's eyes widened as the boy lifted her chin to face him.

He smiled.

"You did everything you could to keep him safe. Sansone did what he could to save his life... You've both made mistakes." He paused, making sure she was looking him in the eyes. "It's okay. Sansone... if you forgive him, he'll probably forgive you... and Lucio... he might be angry at first, but he'll understand at some point."

"Do... Do you really think so?" she quietly asked, looking up into his eyes.

"Yeah. I do." He gazed back at her.

"Do... Do you think... less of me?"

Yukiya stared at her for a moment. He let go of her hand and caressed her cheek.

"No, not at all. I... I'm grateful that you trust me enough to tell me about what happened."

Stella closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"You... are the one I trust the most, Yukiya... I... want to trust you, and rely on you..."

"I'd like it if you relied on me... I've relied on you for a while now."

Stella smiled, the most genuine and happy smile she'd made all day. Wrapping both of her hands around his, she pressed her lips to one of his knuckles. They stayed in those positions for a while. It wasn't until the distant banging of a door that they separated. After quickly promising to meet again later, Yukiya rushed off. Not long after, Professor Hart walked up to the cell.

"Hey, Stella. How are you feeling?" she asked.

 _I... feel strange... Like a weight's been lifted off of my shoulders..._

"I... I'm alright... I feel pretty good, actually."

"O-Oh?" The professor tilted her head. "Well, I hope you're okay with leaving. Your time is up."

"Let's go!" The girl jumped to her feet.

The woman unlocked the door and led the girl out of the Detention Chambers. As Stella blinked and tried to adjust to the sunlight, Professor Hart returned her wand.

"You... still have your assessment with the Timidis Wardrobe," the professor reminded her, "Do you think you're ready to take it?"

Stella bit her lip and stared at the ground. She thought back to what Yukiya had told her.

 _I... I think I am..._

Stella gave a hesitant nod. The professor offered a comforting smile as they walked to the classroom where the Wardrobe was waiting. As they approached the doorway, Stella reminded herself of the boy's words one last time.  
Taking a deep breath, she walked in.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update! I've had a lot of trouble with Stella's backstory.  
I didn't want it to be overly tragic, and this is actually toned down from what I originally planned. I didn't want it to be overly tragic to the point that it's cheesy or makes you role your eyes. It's still a bit more dramatic than I'd like, but I started to change my mind while I was writing, so there was only so much I could change.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading, and please leave reviews and critiques!**  
 **Have a nice day/night!**


	27. Into the Nightmare

As Stella and the professor approached the doorway, she noticed a girl with sky blue hair sitting in one of the chairs by the door. The girl smiled at her, though her eyes were nervous.

"Wait out here a moment," Professor Hart ordered.

Stella took a seat next to the girl.

"Do you have to do the wardrobe thing, too?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah, I was supposed to take it yesterday, but I wasn't feeling well." The girl took a shaky breath. "B-But I'm so scared. I... I'm already pretty jumpy, and I have trouble sleeping as it is... Oh, gods... I don't wanna do this..."

"I... I know what you mean. I have a lot of things I'm scared of."

The girl smiled.

"I bet I have more."

Stella laughed.

"That's a competition I don't wanna win."

The girl gave an uneasy chuckle.

"But I still would."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

The two girls laughed, though it seemed to be a bit forced. After a moment, the fear of what would inevitably come returned, and the two sat in silence. The blue-haired girl began to fidget. Stella gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. As though that action had somehow triggered her memory, the girl suddenly spoke.

"Just remember," the girl stated, "the incantation you need is **'O' great power, grant me courage in face of fear, Audux Magia!'** "

"Thanks." Professor Hart suddenly stepped back out. Stella smiled at the girl. "Good luck."

"You too..."

Professor Hart opened the door, and when the girl stepped in, the Knights began explaining.

...

* * *

...

The door shut behind her. Stella clenched her skirt as she waited for something to happen in the empty wardrobe. For a while, she just stood there and nothing seemed to change. The girl wondered if it had somehow been broken. It wasn't until she tried to turn around that the magic seemed to take effect.  
The ground gave way from beneath her, and she had no time to scream as she hurtled down, down, down into the dark abyss.  
She seemed to fall for hours before she crashed into an old pond. Stella gasped and gagged at the stench of the stagnant water as she dragged herself onto the bank. She sat for a moment, trying to recollect herself, when she saw something move under the water's surface. The girl crawled to the water's edge and stared down, trying to make out what was lurking beneath the surface. Though the water was too murky to make out the details, she could tell something was swimming up towards her.

 _Run._

It wasn't so much an active thought, but some sort of primal urge. The thing beneath the surface was dangerous, she somehow knew, yet still she didn't move - couldn't move. Stella simply froze there, watching.

A single hand rose up from the water. It caressed the girl's cheek as the other hand rose and ran its fingers through her hair. Stella felt herself trembling as the owner of the hands raised her face from beneath the water.  
A face she knew well.  
Her own ice blue eyes stared back, her own dark, full lips smiled up at her, her own black hair framing her own face.

Stella opened her mouth to speak, but her doppelganger's hands, once kind and caring in their examination of her features, suddenly gripped her arm and a bundle of her hair and yanked her down into the dark, malodorous water. The other Stella dragged her down into the dark abyss, her smile pulled unnaturally wide. Stella tried to kick and claw at her doppelganger, but to no avail. She wanted to scream, to cry, to call for help, but if she even tried, the disgusting dark water would rush in and she would drown.

"It should have been _you_ ," the other Stella hissed.

When Stella looked back into her own face, she couldn't help but scream. It was as though invisible flames were burning away at her skin, revealing pearl white bone underneath. Just as she'd feared, the water rushed into her mouth, into her lungs. The other Stella cackled as her body melted away into the darkness. Stella clawed at the water, trying to return to the surface, but it had become so dark, she could no longer tell what was up and what was down. She clawed at her throat, kicking her feet, all while begging for air.

"Little Star? Where are you, Little Star?" called a woman's familiar voice.

The water was gone, and for a moment, Stella floated in the air, gasping. She lifted her head, only to find her mother standing there. The woman laughed as she took her daughter into her arms. Stella, now a young child once more, wrapped her arms around the woman's neck.

"No more, Mammina," the young Stella whimpered, "I don't want to do this anymore!"

"Oh, but, Little Star, you made me a promise."

"Mammina?"

"You said you'd take care of my Little Light. You promised."

Stella pulled back. Her mother's face, once full and beautiful, was rapidly changing. Her cheeks became sunken, her eyes lost their twinkle, her hair lost its shine. The loving warmth that had always been there suddenly grew cold and unfeeling.

"You cursed your baby brother. You lied to him. You abandoned him. How could you?"

The hands that were holding the little girl shifted into claws and the woman's eyes were turning darker and darker, until they reached ink black. Stella tried to struggle out of the grip of her mother, no, the monster who'd once looked like her mother.

"He's loved you so much, trusted you so completely, and you've destroyed him!" the woman cried, "You've ruined him!"

"I-I didn't mean to-"

"You blamed him! You blamed him just like Sansone!"

"I-I didn't! I don't-!"

"Liar!" the monstrosity howled, "Even if it were just a moment, you blamed him for your misfortune!"

At some point, tears had begun to run down the girl's face. With one last attempt, she finally made it out of the creature's arms. It fell to its knees as the little girl ran through the darkness.

 _I want to leave! I need to get out of here!_

When the girl finally stopped, the world around her began to change. Shapes had taken form, and the world to be no longer made of darkness, but merely covered in shadows. Little Stella wander through the shapes, bumping into various objects.

"Stella?" Sansone's voice whispered, "Stella, where are you?"

It was Sansone's voice, but there was something wrong. He sounded just as he had when they fought, just before she had run away with Lucio.

"Stella? Where did you go?"

Stella tried to silence her steps as she glanced around.

"You let father die, and now you're abandoning me?" The boy's voice mournfully asked, "You really do love Lucio more, don't you?"

The girl suddenly tripped on something in the dark. She froze as she heard something slither across the ground towards her.

"Is that you Stella?"

She said nothing as she scurried away from the spot, moving as quietly as she cold. She flinched at the sound of something striking the ground.

"Where did you go?" he hissed. "Why did you leave me?!"

 _That is_ not _Sansone._

She silently moved through, trying to find a way out of the dark maze.

"Stella? Quit running away!"

She bit her lip.

"You're not gonna get out."

She found a wall. She kept her and on it as she walked, allowing it to guide her.

"Do you want to know why?"

She quickened her pace. He had suddenly sounded very close.

"I can _see_ you," he whispered.

She could feel breath on her neck. Whipping around, she saw something inhuman. A serpent-like form loomed over her, ready to strike.  
She screamed and ran.  
A cackle, almost like a boy's mischievous laughter, echoed around her.  
Up ahead, a small doorway of light shined through. She towards it, the breath of the beast dampening the back of her neck.

She slid through the doorway just before a pair of fanged jaws snapped the air behind her. The girl sat shivering. The doorway had seemed to disappear. Stella carefully climbed to her feet, but felt the blood drain from her face as a low growl thundered behind her. She slowly looked over her shoulder. The pure white chimera crouched there, ready to lunge. She gasped and turned to run, but she was too late. She couldn't even scream as the claws crushed her into the ground. She laid on her back, pinned by the monster. The chimera stared down at her cruel eyes. It bared its fangs and before she could realize what had happened, it locked its jaws around her shoulder. The pain wasn't immediate. For just a moment, she was numbed by shock.  
And then the agony hit.  
She screamed.  
She cried.  
And there was nothing she could do.

She sobbed and wailed, calling for help that would never arrive. The weight of the beast seemed to fade, and the girl curled up, pressing her hand to the gushing wound. After a moment, she noticed a pair of feet standing near her. She glanced up.

"Y-Yukiya?" she gasped.

He stared coldly down at her, his gaze almost disgusted.

"P-Please..." she sobbed, "Please h-help me..."

"Murderer."

It was only a whisper, but it felt like knife through her heart.

"Traitor."

"I-I-"

"Isn't this only fair? You thought so, didn't you?"

"Y-You're not Yu- Yukiya!" she shouted, "He wo-"

"You can't erase your mistakes by acting kind now. You're fake. A hypocrite."

"I'm no-"

He didn't stay to listen. The blue-haired boy walked off, towards the darkness.

"Don't go! Not into the dar-gah!" Her wound throbbed.

She sobbed as the darkness swallowed up the boy. She curled back up, the room grower darker and darker, until light only shined on her bloody, beaten form.

A sudden sobbing began to echo her own. Stella lifted her head. Through her tear-filled gaze she saw another ray of light shining down on someone. She wiped her eyes and looked back up. A young boy with dark and patches of dark green scales sat sobbing. His hands covered his eyes, but the tears still poured.

"L-Lucio... Lucio!"

"Why didn't you tell me?!" he sobbed. "Why did you lie?!"

"I'm... sorry... I'm so sorry!"

She began to cry once more. The pain from her wound was nothing compared to the guilt ripping her apart from the inside.

"You said you loved me! You said it was just us! We had a family! Why did you leave them?! Why did you make me leave them?!"

"I'm sorry!" she cried back.

"You turned me into a monster! I'm not even human!"

He couldn't hear a word she said. His sobbing began to echo all around.

"You should have let me die!"

"Stop it!" Stella screamed. "Don't you ever say that!"

"You turned me into a monster! Why did you make us leave?! You should have let me die!"

His words became a chant, echoing all around. She couldn't escape them by covering her ears- the chants continued through her mind. Her words did nothing, her actions did nothing. All she could do was sit and listen to her baby brother's grief.

 _No!_

She ran her hands through the sand at her feet.

 _It's not real!_

Her right hand hit something. She quickly picked up the wand and held it up.  
Lucio lifted his head, his warm brown snake-like eyes were tragic and full of tears.

 _He isn't real!_

" **O' great power, grant me courage in face of fear, Audux Magia!** "


	28. Into the Dream

"Stella! Stella, wake up!"

The girl jumped and opened her eyes, gasping for breath. Her frantic eyes scanned the room, unable to recognize it.

"Stella, breathe! Breathe."

She did as she was told, and her heart calmed down. She loosened her grip on the blanket and looked across her surrounding once more. Stella realized that she was lying in one of the beds in a tent-room at La Magnifique. However, it was not her usual room. It seemed larger, and her roommates were no longer there.

"Are you alright?"

Stella froze. The voice was familiar, though it sounded a bit older. She took a breath and turned. There sat Yukiya. An older Yukiya. His dark blue hair was shorter and only a touch neater, and he seemed to have a five o'clock shadow. She stared at him for a moment, unable to comprehend the situation. His eyes were concerned, that much was clear even with his left eye covered by shadows.

"W-What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare. I woke up and tried to get you to wake up, too. It took a while."

She stared at him.

"A... nightmare?" she echoed, then shook her head. "Where's Lucio?"

"Asleep a few tents down. Do you want to go check on him?"

"Is... Is he okay?"

"He was having a blast earlier at the party, so he's probably exhausted. Other than that, he seemed fine to me." Yukiya reached out and wiped the tears from her cheek. "Are _you_ okay?"

"H-He was sobbing, saying I should have let him... let him..." Her lip began to quiver when she remembered the young boy's wails.

Yukiya's eye widened for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her trembling form.  
After a moment of hesitation, she returned his embrace and buried her face in his shoulder. They stayed like that until she was able to fully calm down.

"Yukiya?" she asked, pulling away.

"Hm?"

"Where is your shirt?" As she spoke, she realized her own voice had changed, as though she had aged alongside the boy. She caught a glance of herself in the mirror.

 _I look just as old as he does..._

The young man tilted his head in confusion. Then, he reached out and tugged at the sleeve of her night shirt. She felt her cheeks go red as she realized what he was saying.

"You stole it while I was in the bath. By the time I came back in, you were already snuggled under the blankets." He pushed a few of the wild strands of her hair behind her ear. "I didn't want to wake you up. You seemed tired from the celebration."

 _That's the second time he's mentioned a party..._

"So, are you feeling alright?"

"Oh, yes! I am now... thanks."

The young man looked relieved. He reached out and gently took her in his arms before laying back down. He cuddled up against her, his arms wrapped protectively around her. The embrace was full of warmth and love.

"Did... you enjoy the party?" she quietly asked.

"Yeah... I'm glad Sansone showed up..."

"Sansone?"

"I thought you would be happy to have him here to celebrate. Your parents were fun to be around..." He sounded as though he was drifting off to sleep.

"My... parents?"

 _They're alive?_

"Yeah... said they were proud of you..."

She stared up at him. He was drifting off.

"Yukiya... are you... disgusted by me? Because of what I've done to my family?"

His eye opened at that.

"Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Would you... ever walk away from me? You can be honest. I'm not fishing, and it's not a trap."

"Never."

He took her left hand into his. With the moon's light, she could see a sparkling ring. She whipped her gaze back towards him.

"I gave you this," he began, "to promise you that I would always stay by your side, through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, through the good and the bad." He smiled lovingly at her. "Stella, I love you. I couldn't bear to abandon you."

Stella felt tears pricking her eyes. However, they were tears of happiness, not fear or pain or guilt. She curled up against him, her forehead pressed against his.

"Yukiya, I lo-"

...

* * *

...

"Congratulations on completing your assignment!"The red-haired knight grinned. "We were getting worried for a while there, but you managed to pull through."

Stella stood in frozen shock. She found herself standing in a wardrobe, back to her usual age. The two knights gave her a concerned look from the outside of the wardrobe.

"You alright, kid?" the woman asked.

"I... Where am I?"

"You just completed your Timidis Wardrobe assignment, Stella. You passed with flying colors!" Professor Hart gently took hold of her hand and helped her out.

"So... none of it was real?"

"Correct." Professor Schuyler answered. "Now get going. There's another student who needs to take their turn."

"Be more gentle! She just went through something terrifying," Professor Hart huffed.

The professor led her out, ignoring the surprised look on the man's face.

"Conrad can be so inconsiderate. I mean, really. Please forgive him, Stella. He's just..."

"Blunt?"

"... Yes. Yes, that sounds about right. Anyway, would you like me to walk you back to the dorm, or the library, somewhere where you can relax?"

Stella bit her lip. Part of her wanted to talk to Yukiya, to tell him what she had seen. The other part was mortified at what her spell had created.

"I... I can get to my dorm on my own. But thank you."

The woman smiled kindly and bid her farewell. However, when the professor caught a glimpse of Schuyler, she frowned and made a beeline towards him. Stella found it funny; she imagined the woman giving her coworker an earful for his attitude.

As Stella made her way down the path to her dorm, her mind began to wander. The wardrobe had lived up to its name. What she saw had been horrifying, and guilt ripped through her as she remembered the constant message - she'd betrayed her family. She wanted to deny it, with all her heart she wished it wasn't true - but it was. She fell asleep when she was watching over her father; even though she likely couldn't have done anything to save him, she felt like she should have at least held his hand to make sure he didn't feel alone. Her mother had turned into a monster, driven mad by what had been allowed to happen to her youngest son - the only one of her children she hadn't had much chance to watch grow. Her twin brother was constantly made out to be a villain, though Stella knew it was not all the boy's fault. She pushed her guilt and regret all off onto him for so long, to make herself feel better. And then there was Lucio. Lucio hating her, but even worse, he had hated himself. He saw _himself_ as less then human, abandoned by the only one of his family he'd ever known.  
Stella had betrayed her family. She refused to believe otherwise. However, she wouldn't leave things in such disarray any longer. She would find Sansone in town, do what she could to make things right with him. When Lucio arrived, she would explain the situation to him, hopefully with her twin there to help. As for her parents, she knew they were gone, but she would not repeat the mistakes she felt she'd made. She would be more vigilant in watching out for her friends and family, and even if Lucio, no, if either of her brothers hated her for it, she would continue to look out for them anyway, to help anyway she could.

By the time Stella had made these promises to herself, she'd arrived at the doorway of the girl's dorm. She bit her lip, hoping her roommate wouldn't be there. She enjoyed Amelia's company, but the girl wasn't in the mood to talk. She made her way up the stairs and was relieved to find the room empty. The girl walked to the bathroom and started filling the tub with water.

 _There's still the matter of Yukiya..._

He had appeared in the nightmare only briefly, but his words still hurt. Abandonment. She was certain that the boy had represented that. The denial of her attempts to make up for her actions, the rejection of her guilt and regret.

* * *

 _"Murderer."_

 _"Traitor."_

 _"You can't erase your mistakes by acting kind now. You're fake. A hypocrite."_

* * *

He had spat those words out as though they had burned his tongue just saying them. And then the all-consuming darkness had swallowed him.

Stella jumped when she checked the water. It had become boiling hot during the time she'd zoned out. She turned off the faucet. She was about to grab her wand to cast a spell on the water to cool it, when she was suddenly hit by an idea.

She grabbed the half used bar of bergamot soap and a needle. Carefully, the girl carved in a few runes. Her brother had shown her them when they where younger, and she smiled when she remembered what they'd used them for.

* * *

 _"The whole river is full of bubbles!" a young Stella laughed._

 _"Now we can wash all our clothes in one go! We don't need that stupid washing barrel!" agreed a smiling Sansone._

* * *

Stella chuckled as she dropped the soap into the tub. It quickly began to fizz and soon large bubbles rose up and covered the water in a thick layer. After a moment, she checked the water and sighed at the perfect temperature. She undressed and climbed in.

She closed her eyes and allowed the warm water and comforting scent to help her relax.

 _The dream... my supposed deepest desire... I was still at La Magnifique. Lucio was happy and... it seems like he didn't hate me... Sansone had shown up, and it was at Yukiya's request! My parents... he said my parents were alive and proud of me..._

She ducked her head under the water as he tears began to prick her eyes. She was tired of crying.  
When the surge of grief passed, Stella lifted her head out of the water. She rested it against the edge of the tub and quietly spoke.

"He said he _loved_ me..."

She lifted her left hand. There was, of course, nothing there, but she could still feel the ring's weight. Her heart thumped.

"I... I almost told him that I lo-"

"Stella? Are you here?" Amelia called.

"Y-Yeah! In the bath!"

"Alright. I brought some muffins that one of the other girls made. They're _really_ good!"

"Thanks!"

She soaked in the bath for half an hour longer before getting out and changing into her pajamas. When she stepped out, Amelia had prepared some tea and set it on a tray with the muffins on her bed. Stella sat beside her and as she ate, the older girl talked about her had day had been. Stella only offered small comments here and there, but if her roommate had noticed, she said nothing.

...

* * *

...

It was pitch black outside when Yukiya woke up. The tapping at the glass balcony door continued, though he seemed to be the only one who noticed. He sleepily got up and opened the curtains. It took him a few moments to realize it was Stella standing there, her arms wrapped around herself. He opened the door and led her inside. She smiled at him, but he could tell it was a bit forced. He narrowed his eyes when he realized her eyes were red and puffy.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just couldn't sleep," she casually replied.

He traced her eyes, frowning when he felt how wet her cheeks were. He gently pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. She seemed to almost melt into him, and the boy thought she would simply fall over if he moved away. He ran his hand through her ink black hair.

"Nightmares?"

"Horrible ones."

When she lifted her head to look at him, he felt relieved. Her smiled didn't feel so forced anymore.

"Am I going to wake up Elias?"

"No." He shook his head. "He drank some enchanted tea. He won't wake up until late tomorrow morning, no matter how loud we are."

She turned red at his statement.

 _Did I say something strange?_

"Yukiya, you really don't understand how things can sound out of context, do you?"

"I don't. Will you explain?"

She stepped back, and he was sorry to feel her warmth fade.

"Maybe another time. It's not important. Anyway, I just remembered that your assignment is tomorrow. You need to rest up. Sweet dreams, Yukiya!" she bid him farewell and started for the door.

"Wait." He grabbed her hand to stop her.

She turned back to him, her eyes full of surprise.

"Is your roommate not there?"

"N-No. How do you know?"

"You probably would have talked to her instead of risking coming here just after being punished for doing just that."

"It's fine. She'll be back in the morning."

He stared into her eyes. She was hiding it well, but he could see her anxiety. Her fear of falling back asleep and facing her nightmares once more.

"You... You could stay here. Just until morning. You won't be by yourself if you wake up again from bad dreams."

"I... I can't. You have to sleep befo- ah!"

Before she could finish, he carefully picked her up and set her down on his bed. He grabbed an extra blanket and pillow, and got ready to lay down on the floor. However, she stopped him.

"If you really want me to stay here, you have to take the bed," she ordered.

"You're not sleeping on the floor."

"What if we just share the bed, then?"

He stared at her in surprised silence. She smiled jokingly, albeit a touch nervously.

"Come on, I swear I won't touch you. You could put a pillow in between if you're really nervous."

"... There's not enough room for a pillow."

"If this is going to disturb your ability to sleep, I can head back. Really, I'll be fine, Yukiya. You're the one who needs to sle-"

The boy laid down next to her, his back turned. He could feel her gaze on his back for a moments before he heard her shift.

 _She must have turned around, too._

He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to overtake him, all while trying to ignore the warm body pressed against his back.

...

When the boy opened his eyes again, he found himself embracing the girl. In his sleepy mind, all he could think was how perfectly she fit in his arms, and how right it seemed for her to be there. Without giving it any real thought, he gave her forehead a small kiss.  
And then sleep overtook him once more.


	29. And the Boy Faced His Fears

Stella yawned and opened her eyes. She tried to lift her hand to brush her hair away from her face, but found that something was weighing down her whole body. She looked down and found a pair of muscular arms holding her tightly in place. The girl silently followed the arms with her eyes and was soon met with a sleeping Yukiya. Their faces were so close, Stella could feel his breath on her lips.

* * *

 _Yukiya took her left hand into his. With the moon's light, she could see a sparkling ring. She whipped her gaze back towards him._

 _"I gave you this," he began, "to promise you that I would always stay by your side, through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, through the good and the bad." He smiled lovingly at her. "Stella, I love you. I couldn't bear to abandon you."_

* * *

Stella blushed when she flashed back to her vision from the Timidis Wardrobe. She wasn't sure how she felt about what the vision had meant. When Vision Yukiya had said he loved her, the girl had felt both intimidated and overjoyed. It took immense courage and certainty to genuinely say 'I love you'. The statement carried a kind of weight for both the speaker and the receiver. A part of Stella felt she didn't deserve his love, another part didn't seem to care.

The boy shifted in his sleep and curled closer to her. The girl squeaked as his face moved and rested on her shoulder. She could feel his lips lightly brush against her collarbone with every breath she took. The blood rushed to her face and she tried to squirm away.

"No..." Yukiya sleepily groaned and nuzzled closer.

"Y-Yukiya! My heart can't take this right now!" Stella all but shrieked.

"Mm... don't wanna..."

"Wake up! Come on! Y-You have to get ready for your..." She faltered

 _He takes his trial in a few hours..._

Stella managed to tug one of her hands free and rested on his head. She slowly began running her fingers through his hair and she smiled when the boy let out a soft sigh.

 _The least I can do is let him rest peacefully until he faces his nightmare._

The girl bit her lip and snuggled closer to the boy, as though she wanted to shield him from the horrors he would later have to meet.

...

* * *

...

When Yukiya finally woke up, he found himself tightly pressed to a lithe feminine form. He cautiously lifted his head and looked up into a pair of surprised ice blue eyes.

"Y-You're awake," Stella commented.

He said nothing as he stared up at her face. He watched her cheeks darken as her eyes flickered away.

"Or... are you still half-asleep?" She shot him a quick glance. "You've, um, been hugging me for a while."

 _O-Oh... Did I really just start hugging her in my sleep?_

His cheeks turned pink and he carefully untangled himself from her. He missed her warmth immediately and was too embarrassed to look her in the face.

"Sorry..."

"I didn't mind!" Stella quickly replied, "It was nice and wa- I mean, it's all good!"

 _Was she gonna say 'warm'? Does that mean she was comfortable?_

He sat up and and reached out to find his eyepatch. Before he could put it on, however, he felt her grab his arm.

"Your hair was covering your eye and I... if you don't mind, I mean, could I...?"

 _She'll see the symbol of my contract..._

"It's not pretty."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, but I promise you I won't be scared or disgusted." She smiled at him. "I've seen much, much worse."

He hesitated for a moment before turning to face her. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. The boy flinched when he felt her hands on his cheeks. The girl carefully lifted his face and forced him to return her gaze. Yukiya felt anxious, afraid the girl would be unable to keep her promise.  
But when she smiled so sweetly, all his fears began to fade. He closed his eyes as she brought her lips close and pressed them against his left eye. Her kiss seemed to relieve him of all the anxiety he felt. His eyes still closed, he reached up and placed his hand over hers.

"You should probably get ready," Stella softly stated, "you'll have to leave for your test soon."

 _I want to stay here..._

He opened his eyes, surprised by his own thought. His embarrassment seemed to spread and Stella shyly pulled her hand away. Yukiya almost immediately missed her warmth. She moved back and climbed to her feet.

"I should leave. You need to get ready to for your test. Try to mentally prepare yourself. It's... intense."

At the moment, Yukiya couldn't imagine being afraid. He quietly followed her to the balcony. Just before she stepped out the door, however, she stopped and faced him.

"Remember the spell ' **O' great power, grant me courage in face of fear, Audux Magia!** ', okay?" She held his face in her hands. "You _have_ to remember."

"I will."

She stared him in the eyes for a few more moments before pressing a quick kiss to his temple. He didn't have enough time to react before she was gone. He rested his hand over the spot where she'd kissed him. A thought came to him as he got dressed and ready for the day.

 _Stella has... kissed me a lot..._

He laced up his boots.

 _Should I read into that? She's hugged plenty of people... What if it's just her being a touchy-feely person?_

He stood up and grabbed his wand.

 _Is it bad if I don't care? If I enjoy being close to her even though she only sees me as a friend?_

Before he walked out of the room, he happened to glance at Elias. The boy, still fast asleep, had started falling out of bed. Yukiya quickly rushed over and pushed him back up. Elias only grunted and curled up. Yukiya chuckled and walked out. There were times the Goldstein reminded him of his little brother.

Yukiya sighed and tried to shake his mind free from any distracting thoughts. Stella was right - he had to focus on getting through the Timidis Wardrobe.

...

* * *

...

The Knights didn't waste any time explaining what his task was. As soon as they had finished, Yukiya had been shut into the Wardrobe. He stood there for some time, waiting for the magic to take effect. When it seemed like half an hour had passed and no change occurred, the boy pushed open the wardrobe door to talk to the professor.

He was greeted by smoke and fire. Yukiya started coughing and looked around.

 _Wait... I know this place!_

The houses, the roads, the surrounding forest, he knew it all. He'd grown up there, after all.

 _How did I get home?_

The village he had once been raised in was engulfed in flames. There were bodies stuck full of arrows all around. He had seen this scene too, years ago. Yukiya started running down one of the paths towards a house at the edge of the woods. It looked just as it had before, except this time there was silence. No screams or cries for help could be heard. A shiver went down Yukiya's spine and he rushed into the house.

He wished he hadn't.

Eight bodies were laying on the floor. Knife cuts and arrows, scarlet blood splashed everywhere. Yukiya buried his face in his hands and let out a noise that was both a sob and a scream.  
He was too late.  
His family was dead.

"This could go another way, you know..." the wolf's voice whispered in his ear, "they don't have to be dead at the hands of killers."

"What do you want? You have my _soul_ ," Yukiya hissed back.

"I could have one of their's." He flicked his tail towards the bodies of Yukiya's young siblings.

" _No_. Their souls aren't even mine to give, and even if they were, I would _never_ let you have them."

" 'Their souls aren't mine to give,' he says." The wolf snorted. "I guess their lives are a different matter?"

"W-What?"

Yukiya lifted his head. The bodies of his family laid strewn about the forest floor, but there were no longer knife wounds or arrowheads piercing their skin.  
They had been mauled by some horrid beast.  
A wave of nausea swept over the boy and he stepped away, only to find his hands and feet soaked in blood.

 _This isn't real. This isn't real!_

He stared at his shaking, bloody hands and refused to believe the scene in front of him. He wanted to scream, to cry, but all that came out were strangled gasps. A sudden sob from the bushes broke him from his trance. His gaze shifted to the figure hiding in the undergrowth.

Something wicked, something savage made him start running after it. Hunger and rage drove him forward. He flew through the woods after the fleeing figure, and with a heavy swing of his claw, he sent it flying. The beast slowly stalked up to the figure he had thrown. He watched it crawl into another clearing and silently followed.

More bodies. They were all dressed in the same uniform. The beast didn't care as it stalked after the crawling person. She sobbed and tried to shake a boy with golden hair awake, but amethyst eyes had fogged over, seeing nothing. The girl sobbed and crawled forward. The beast crashed his down upon her once more. Her bones crunched and she screamed. Those screams soon turned to whimpers.  
Ice blue eyes stared past the golden eyes of the beast and gazed into the boy's pale brown eyes. That agonizing gaze woke Yukiya up from his trance and he tried to reign in the beast.  
He was too late.

Through the beast's claw, he could her blood staining his hand. Those full lips that he had always remembered as smiling were now dripping with her own blood. Those pretty eyes that had always been full of kindness went from horror to emptiness.

Only when the girl's life had faded did the beast release the boy. Yukiya stared at the girl in silent shock for a moment. He reached out and felt her cheek and found it was already growing cold.  
He sobbed.  
He wailed.  
He held her close and wished he could undo all the damage and death he had caused.

Somewhere in a distant memory, her could remember the golden haired boy sharing chocolates with him, he could remember his parents holding him, he could remember his siblings following him around like ducklings, and he could remember the girl's lips pressed to his eyes, his nose, and his temple.

He focused on those memories and tried to deny the reality sitting before him.

"Why?" a weak voice choked.

Yukiya's eyes shot up to the girl's. Her eyes were still dull and lifeless, but her lips still dripped with blood as she spoke.

"We... cared for... you" she rasped, "Why... kill us...?"

Her voice sounded horrifically painful.

"I-I didn't - My curse -!"

"Your curse... isn't to... hurt us... That is... your _choice_... Your... curse... is to be... alone... _forever_."

As soon as those words had slipped past her lips, the girl and the world around them began melting away.

"No! S-Stella, please! This isn't what I wanted! Don't go! All of you! Stop! _Don't leave me here_!"

He screamed for them all in the darkness. He screamed until his voice went hoarse. When only strangled sobs could pass his lips, the boy curled up and hugged himself.

" _Why, Yukiya?_ " voices cried, " _How could you?!_ "

The voices whispered and hissed at him, both familiar and unfamiliar. It was as though they were the voices of everyone he knew merged into a single painful sound.  
The more they lashed out at him, the tighter he hugged himself.

 _What is this?_

Something was poking at his hand from inside his jacket pocket. The boy pulled it out and found it was a wand. He stared at it. For some reason, he was once more reminded of a pair of lips pressed to his temple.  
He shifted onto his back and shouted as loud as his ripped up throat would allow.

" **O' great power, grant me courage in face of fear, Audux Magia!** "

And the ground beneath him gave way. The boy fell and was swallowed up by the merciless darkness.

* * *

 **If the events within the Timidis Wardrobe were at all confusing, please leave a review and I'll edit this document with an explanation beneath this note.**


	30. He Dreamed of Love

Yukiya gasped and shot up. Visions of death and carnage ran through his mind's eye, and his grief renewed. He buried his face in his hands and tried to swallow his sobs.

"Y-Yuki! What's wrong?!" a young woman's voice gasped.

He pulled his hands from his face and looked into a pair of worried ice blue eyes.

"Yukiya..." Stella reached out and tightly hugged him.

Yukiya froze in confusion. This Stella was a bit older than the Stella from his dream. She was warmer, too. He flashed back to when he'd felt her cheek growing cold.  
He held this Stella as close to him as he could.

"It was just a dream, Love. Everything is okay."

They remained in each other's embrace for what felt like hours. When his sobs finally faded and his shivering stopped, Stella pulled away just far enough to look him in the eyes. She rubbed her thumb against his cheek, and he leaned into her touch.

"Do... Do you want to talk about it?"

Yukiya took her left hand in his. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a simple but elegant ring on her ring finger. He lifted his own left hand and his eyes widened in surprise. There on his ring finger was a simple metal band. He looked back at the woman's face. The prettiness he had seen in her before had grown into elegant beauty. He blinked a few times before speaking.

"Y-You're older..."

She tilted her head.

"Than when? You're just as old as I am, Yuki."

He reached up and felt his own face. He could feel the prickle of tiny hairs on his jaw, and his features felt broader and more pronounced.

"Yukiya... What did you dream about? It must have been serious if it has you this disoriented."

He stared into her eyes. Those eyes were worried and sympathetic, and so very full of life. He held her close. Yukiya took his time explaining the horrors he had seen. The woman had remained silent, patiently listening. When he finally managed to finish, Stella carefully spoke.

"Your parents... they're so proud of you, you know. They understand what you did, and they forgive you for running away. Your siblings are just glad you're back in their lives... Kaiya plans to name her baby after you if it's a boy, remember? And Elias is perfectly safe and happy. So are the rest of our friends. Luca's gonna be in the next town over in a few weeks, so we could meet him for lunch or dinner or something." She pulled back and took his hand. She placed it over her swollen stomach. "And I'm safe. You're safe. We're starting a family, remember? We're here on the beach, in the house we made ourselves. We're both living happily and safely. You have nothing to be afraid of. Everything is okay... Actually, I think it's better tha- Oh!"

Yukiya suddenly pulled her tightly in his arms. Stella soon recovered from her surprise and hugged him back.

"I love you. I love you so, so much," he whispered.

"Oh, Yuki. I love you, too."

They looked each other in the eyes. The young woman smiled and slowly brought her lips to his. Yukiya's eyes slowly closed and he returned her kiss. The feeling of her warmth, her life, her lips - it was bliss.  
After a few moments passed, Yukiya laid back down on the soft bed. Stella curled up against him.

"What should we name our baby?" she suddenly asked.

Yukiya shut his eyes, a smile on his lips.

" _Our_ baby..." he echoed, "We're having a baby..."

She giggled.

"You always get like that when I bring it up. It's sweet."

"After my contract, I never thought I'd get to have one... I didn't think I'd be able to have a wife, either. Or even fall in love..."

"Well, I'm glad that changed. Though, I'd have kept trying to get you to fall for me, even if you didn't!"

"I fell for you without you needing to try..."

Stella giggled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"You're too sweet." She took his hand and held it on her stomach. Joy filled the man's heart when he felt light kicking. "Now, if it's a girl, I was thinking about..."

Yukiya closed his eyes and listened to the woman - his _wife_ talk. In his arms, he held what mattered most to him in all the world. No, Stella and their baby _were_ his whole world. With them, he felt he could do anything. He would _do_ anything to keep them safe and happy. Yukiya buried his face in the woman's hair.

"Stella, I love you so-"

...

* * *

...

"Well done!" The female knight opened the door to the Wardrobe.

Yukiya froze and stared at her. He couldn't understand what was happening.

 _Where's Stella? Where am I? What's going on?_

"Oof, disoriented, aren't you?" the male knight gave him a sympathetic look. "You're at Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy? Professor Schuyler's class? You've just successfully completed your Timidis Wardrobe assignment?"

"... Oh..."

It all came rushing back to him. That nightmare had just been an illusion, but so had his dream. He felt heat rising to his face as he recalled what that dream had consisted of. He politely nodded to the two knights before walking out of the classroom.

At some point, the wolf had joined him. Together they walked through the halls and outside. The pair remained quiet as they walked to the lake.

Yukiya sat down and stared at the water in silence.  
He had never put a name to those strange feelings that had developed in his heart. Putting a name to them scared him, because by giving them a name he would have to acknowledge their existence. He didn't feel he deserved to love or be loved.  
Or so he had thought.  
The spell had shown his deepest desires, and his deepest desires seemed to revolve around love and family. His family had forgiven him. They had accepted him for what he was and forgiven him for what he had done. And he was starting a new life and a new family with Stella. Stella, who'd cared for him. Stella, who'd defended him. Stella, who'd made him feel like a real person again.

Maybe he'd been a fool to try to ignore the feelings growing in his heart - the feelings growing for her. Her kindness and her affection had changed him, but it was her trust in him that had made him cross the point of no return.

"I love her..." he whispered.

"That is disgustingly obvious," the wolf grumbled. "Honestly, you two are so all over each other, it would be more shocking if you two _weren't_ in love. It's pretty annoying that it's taken you two so long to realize that."

"I... I don't know if she feels the same way though..." Yukiya lowered his gaze to the ground in front of him. "What if... she finds my feelings... creepy?"

"If I had hands, I would smack you into next week. That's it." The wolf stood up. "I'm not your damn romance counselor."

With that, the boy's familiar stalked off. Yukiya watched him until he was out of sight before flopping on the ground. He closed his eyes.

 _I want to see her, but... I can't. Not now. I... I need to collect myself, or I won't be able to properly speak with her..._

The boy touched his fingers to his lips, remembering her lips on his. A wave of embarrassment overcame him, and he tried to remind himself that it hadn't been the real Stella. Still, the sensation of the kiss remained.

...

* * *

...

 _"I loved... you... Why?" A pair of blood lips gasped out the question._

 _Yukiya tried to stop her wounds from bleeding, but to no avail. She stared up at him with empty eyes. Her body was growing so cold so quickly. His tears fell on the corpse's cheek and slid down into the puddle of blood. Her blood. The blood he himself had spilled._

 _He held her close, sobbing his apologies._

* * *

Yukiya gasped and his eyes flew open. His gaze fluttered about the room, trying to recognize where he was.

 _I'm in the dorm. It was just a dream. I'm in the dorm. It was just a dream._

Yukiya ripped the covers away and sat up. His heart was still racing. He took a few shaky breaths to calm himself down. It didn't seem to do much.  
The boy stood up and walked to the balcony. He looked up into the tree, as though the girl would be there waiting for him. She wasn't, of course, but the image of her smiling face made him feel just a touch at ease.

 _She... She makes me feel... safer..._

The more he thought of her, the more he wanted to see her. He debated on what to do for a few moments before walking to his desk. He grabbed a pen and a magic note and quickly scribbled down a message. The boy let it go and watched as it flew out the window towards the recipient.


	31. Her Magic Spell

Stella sat on her bed and waited.

The boy's note had arrived almost half an hour ago. She had been unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep when the note appeared before her. He had only asked if she was awake, but the girl could tell it had to do with nightmares from the Timidis Wardrobe. She sent him a note telling him to sneak over. He responded not long after, stating he was on his way.  
She glanced at her roommate's empty bed. Amelia had only picked up some clothes and stated her best friend had just gone through a bad breakup and needed her. Stella had bid her farewell and hidden her anxiety about waking up alone from one of the nightmares.

The girl was growing anxious. It would be bad if he were caught. Whatever he had faced in there had to be horrible, and it would be awful if he were sent to the Detention Chambers.

A sudden tapping at the window caught Stella's attention. She opened and looked down to find Yukiya staring up at her. She quietly gestured to the vines she'd used to sneak out before. The girl bit her lip as he climbed up. They had held _her_ weight, but he had more muscle mass than she did.  
He made it to her balcony in one piece. Stella let out a sigh of relief.

She led the boy in and closed the door behind him. He silently stared at the floor, and the air somehow became heavy.

"I was a little worried when you didn't send me note," the girl began, trying to break the tension, "but I thought you'd like some time to yourself, like I- Oh!"

She was suddenly tugged into a bone-crushing embrace. It took her a few moments to regain her breath.

"Yukiya? Oh, Yukiya, what did you see in there?"

He only buried his face closer to her neck. Stella reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.

"You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to. I can tell you what I saw, if you'd like. Or we could talk about something else altogether."

He was silent for a few moments more. Then he began to speak in a quiet, weak voice.

"My family... I-I'd lost control as that... that _beast_ and... there was so much _blood_... it was all over my hands, and its stench filled my nose, and... there was a rustling in the bushes, and the beast took over, and there were m-more bo-bodies, mauled and bloody, a-and E-Elias - " Stella felt her heart breaking as the boy took in a shaky breath. "Y-You were trying to wake him up, but... it was too... late... and then I - the beast - i-it hit you, and... a-and - " Drops of water dripped onto the girl's shoulder. "I-I'm so sorry, Stella... I'm s-so so-sorry!"

Stella felt tears falling down her own face. She made sure her voice was steady before she spoke.

"Look at me, Yukiya. I need you to look at me."

After a moment, he did as she ordered. Another bolt of pain shot through her heart when she saw his tear-filled eyes. She forced a smile on her face.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You've done nothing wrong. It was just a nightmare. A terrible, horrible nightmare." She wiped his tears away with her thumb. "Everyone is okay. You have nothing to apologize for."

He stared into her eyes for a moment before giving a shaky nod. This time Stella didn't need to force a smile.

"Let's lay down. You stuck by my side last night. I'll do the same for you now."

He followed her over to her bed. As he laid down, he stared up at her.

"Are you going to... use this bed or the other?"

"... Which would you prefer?"

He gently took hold of her hand. He furrowed his brow as though he were reminded of a bad memory.

"Next to me. Stay next to me... _please_."

She said nothing as she snuggled up next to him. The weight of his arm as he held her close made her feel safe, as though the nightmares could no longer reach her.

"You know... My nightmare was full of my family, too... My doppelganger tried to drown me in a lake, and I somehow escaped and found my mother, but she... was so angry about what I'd allowed to happen to Lucio, and I ran into some place dark... A serpent... it sounded like Sansone... it was hunting me... and I escaped, but I was back with the c-chimera, and you were there, and... you were so _disgusted_ by me - "

"That wasn't me." Yukiya tightened his embrace.

Stella nodded and quietly continued.

"Then... there was Lucio... he was so angry and... he kept saying I should have... should have l-let him d-die!" She buried her face deeper into his chest. "He was sobbing and screaming... It was _horrible_..."

Yukiya ran his fingers through her hair.

"So... we both saw ourselves as monsters..."

"Heh, yeah... I guess we did." She pulled away and looked up at him. "But you _definitely_ are not a monster.

He smiled at her.

"And neither are you..."

"... Were you able to cast the spell?"

"Y-Yeah..."

The girl wanted to ask what he saw, what desires the spell had made into reality, but she was afraid he would ask her in return. That she would have to tell him she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She was scared that he would reject her, see her as some creep.  
It was a risk she didn't wasn't ready to take yet.

"Then focus on that when you try to fall asleep."

He nodded and gently pulled her closer. Stella smiled hugged him back. Closing her eyes, she focused on his warmth, his kindness, and the safety she felt in his arms.

...

* * *

...

Stella was woken up by a sudden jerk of movement. She looked up and found Yukiya's trembling back. She quickly sat up and and touched his arm.

"Yukiya? Yukiya, are you okay?"

He flinched at her touch.

"Yukiya..."

"Your blood... Oh, gods... it was everywhere... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

"Look at me, Yukiya."

He didn't move.

"Look at me."

He rolled over and faced her. Stella lowered herself back on the bed. She reached out and rested her hand on his cheek. He flinched at first, but then rested his hand over hers. She smiled up at him.

"It wasn't real, Yukiya. You're okay, and I'm okay. Can you feel the heat from my hand?"

"... Yeah..."

"That means I'm plenty alive, doesn't it?"

"... Yeah."

The boy still didn't look convinced. He looked at her as though he expected her to fade away at a moment's notice. She moved her face closer until their breaths began to mingle.

"You can feel me breathing, can't you? That means I'm okay, right?"

"... Right."

He still looked scared. So terribly scared. Stella gazed into his eyes.

"Yukiya, would you like me to cast a spell? I promise it'll assure you that I'm quite perfectly alive."

He nodded.

"Close your eyes."

She waited until he did as she asked. Then she took a deep breath and pressed her lips against his. He stiffened and his eyes opened his eyes in surprise. However just as she tried to pull away, he kissed her back. The girl felt her eyes fluttering shut as her heart soared. She felt consumed by pure, sweet bliss  
After a few moments, they pulled apart. Stella smiled shyly up at him.

"Do you... feel better?"

Yukiya brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. He gazed down at her, his eyes full of warmth and affection, but also anxiety. His gaze flickered away for a moment.

"...gain..."

"What was that?"

He looked her back in the eyes.

"Could you please... cast the spell ag- !"

She silenced him with another kiss. He seemed to all but melt into her as his arms wrapped around her with more tenderness than she had ever before experienced. She returned his embrace with all the strength she had, wishing this moment could last forever.

She didn't have the courage to tell him she wanted to be his 'forever', but she could at least let him know that he was her 'now'.


End file.
